GOLDEN GLOBE-WINNING AND OSCAR-NOMINATED FILM STAR UMA THURMAN TO GUEST-STAR IN FIVE-EPISODE ARC IN NBC'S NEW MUSICAL DRAMA "SMASH"

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - December 8, 2011 - Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee Uma Thurman will have a five-episode guest-starring arc on NBC's new musical drama "Smash" as a famous and somewhat difficult movie star who flirts with the idea of starring in "Marilyn," the musical within the musical.

Thurman also is well-known for her starring role in the cult feature film hit "Pulp Fiction" (for which she received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations) as well as for "Kill Bill Volume I," both directed by Quentin Tarantino. She first achieved notice in the film "Dangerous Liaisons" and "Henry & June," and went on to star in other films such as "Kill Bill Volume 2," "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues," "Mad Dog and Glory," "Beautiful Girls," "The Truth About Cats & Dogs," "Gattaca," "Batman & Robin," "Paycheck" and "Be Cool."

More recently, Thurman also starred in the films "The Producers," "My Super Ex-Girlfriend," "The Accidental Husband," "My Zinc Bed" and "Motherhood." She will star in the upcoming film "Eloise in Paris."

Thurman won a Golden Globe for her performance as Best Actress - Miniseries or Television Film in "Hysterical Blindness." She also was nominated for a Golden Globe for her work in "Kill Bill Volume I" and "Kill Bill Volume II."

"Smash" will debut on Monday, February 6 (10-11 p.m. ET).

"Smash" is a musical drama that celebrates the beauty and heartbreak of the Broadway theater as it follows a cross-section of dreamers and schemers who all have one common desire - to be a "smash." The series centers on the process of creating a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe - written by the successful songwriting duo of Tom (Tony Award nominee Christian Borle, "Legally Blonde: The Musical") and Julia (Emmy Award winner Debra Messing, "Will & Grace"). Julia recently began the process of adopting a child with her husband Frank (Tony Award nominee Brian d'Arcy James, "Shrek The Musical").

A rivalry soon forms for the lead role between a youthful, inexperienced Midwestern beauty Karen (Katharine McPhee, "American Idol") - who is trying to find fame in the big city against all odds - and stage veteran Ivy Bell (Megan Hilty, "9 to 5: The Musical"), who's determined to leave the chorus line and finally get her big break. A tenacious producer Eileen (Oscar winner, Anjelica Huston, "Prizzi's Honor") discovers the "Marilyn" project and jumps on board with a brilliant director, Derek (Jack Davenport, "Pirates of the Caribbean" films) - whose talent is matched by his cunning and egocentric amorality. Jaime Cepero ("Porgy and Bess") stars as Ellis, and Raza Jaffrey ("Sex and the City 2," "MI-5") stars as Dev.

The series stemmed from an idea of executive producer and multiple Emmy and Oscar winner Steven Spielberg ("ER," "Schindler's List"). The pilot was written by acclaimed playwright/screenwriter Theresa Rebeck ("Mauritius," "NYPD Blue"). David Marshall Grant ("Brothers and Sisters"), Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Oscar-winning "Chicago," "Hairspray") and Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey ("United States of Tara," "The Borgias") also serve as executive producers. Original songs are written by Tony and Grammy Award winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman ("Hairspray," "Catch Me If You Can"), who serve as executive producers as well.

"Smash" is a production of Universal Television in association with DreamWorks Television and Madwoman in the Attic. The pilot was directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer ("Spring Awakening," "American Idiot").

For embeddable clips and full episodes from "Smash," please visit NBC.com's official show site: http://www.nbc.com/smash/.

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