UPCOMING MGM+ COMEDY SERIES "AMERICAN CLASSIC" CASTS ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE LAURA LINNEY

Linney will star opposite Kevin Kline and Jon Tenney in the series from co-creators Michael Hoffman and Bob Martin

LOS ANGELES - April 15, 2025 - Premium linear channel and streaming service MGM+ announced today that four-time Emmy Award winner Laura Linney (Ozark) will star alongside Kevin Kline (Disclaimer) and Jon Tenney (The Closer, Scandal) in American Classic, the upcoming half-hour comedy series from co-creators Michael Hoffman (Soapdish, Restoration, The Last Station) and Bob Martin (The Prom, Slings and Arrows). The series from FIFTH SEASON, with Mar-Key Pictures, Likely Story and Anonymous Content producing, begins production in New Jersey this summer.

American Classic centers on Broadway star and notorious narcissist Richard Bean (Kline), who suffers a spectacular public meltdown and returns to his hometown and the family-run theater where he first became aware of his own brilliance. When he arrives, he is shocked to discover that his father, the former artistic director, has lost a step and that the once-respected theater, now run by his brother Jon (Tenney) and his wife (Linney) has become, by necessity, a low-rent dinner theater serving roast beef and murder mysteries. He decides to save the town, the theater, and the world by presenting a great American classic on the dinner theater stage, directed by and starring, of course, Richard Bean.

Linney will play Kristen Forrest Bean, who grew up acting in the Millersburg Festival Theater founded and run by the Bean family. Kristen fell in love with Richard Bean at age 19 and ran off with him to try to make it in NY. Once there, Richard's egotism served him better than Kristen's quiet intensity and it was his career that took off. Kristen became increasingly frustrated and finally packed up and went home to Millersburg - Where she eventually married Richard's younger brother, Jon, and had their daughter Miranda. As the recently appointed Mayor of Millersburg, Kristen directs her passion as well as her strong practical side toward helping to keep the family theater alive.

Laura Linney - "Kristen Forrest Bean"

Laura Linney is an award-winning American actress who continues to garner widespread critical acclaim for her versatile, inspired performances in film, television, and theatre. Notably, Linney starred in all four seasons of the critically acclaimed Netflix original series Ozark, starring opposite Jason Bateman. Linney received four Emmy Award nominations and seven SAG Award nominations for her portrayal of Wendy Byrde. She was also an executive producer and directed part of the series.

Also on television, Linney starred in and served as an executive producer for the Showtime series The Big C for four seasons, for which she won several awards. She won multiple awards for portraying Abigail Adams in the HBO miniseries John Adams, directed by Tom Hooper. Additionally, she served as an executive producer and starred in the highly anticipated Netflix revival of Tales of the City. She also appeared as Kelsey Grammer's final girlfriend in the last six episodes of Fraiser, starred in Love Letters directed by Stanley Donen, and starred opposite Joanne Woodward in Blind Spot.

Linney's theatre career has been marked by numerous standout performances. She made her Broadway debut in 1990 in Six Degrees of Separation. Her notable Broadway credits include The Little Foxes, Time Stands Still, Sight Unseen directed by Daniel Sullivan and written by Donald Margulies, Arthur Miller's The Crucible starring opposite Liam Neeson and directed by Richard Eyres, Honour, Uncle Vanya, Les Liaisons, Dangereuses, Holiday and The Seagull. In June 2018, Linney made her London theatre debut in Richard Eyre's limited three-week run of My Name Is Lucy Barton, a stage play adapted from Elizabeth Strout's novel. The show returned to the London stage in 2019 and made its Broadway debut which garnered Linney a Tony Award nomination for her performance.

Linney's numerous film credits include Laura Chin's Suncoast, Wildcat, The Miracle Club, Falling, The Roads Not Taken, The Dinner, Nocturnal Animals, Sully, Genius, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, Mr. Holmes, You Can Count On Me, Kinsey, The Savages, The Fifth Estate, Hyde Park On Hudson, Arthur Chirstmas, Morning, Sympathy for Delicious, The Squid and The Whale, Mystic River, Absolute Power, The Truman Show, Primal Fear, The Mothman Prophecies, Love Actually, P.S., The House Of Mirth, The Details, and Congo, among many others.

Laura Linney is represented by CAA, Lighthouse Management & Media, and Kevin Yorn.

About Fifth Season

Fifth Season is a global creative powerhouse specializing in the development, production, financing, and distribution of premium films, television series, and documentaries. Known for its talent-centric approach, the company has produced and distributed critically acclaimed films such as 80 for Brady, Book Club, and The Lost Daughter, as well as award-winning series like Severance, Nine Perfect Strangers, Omnivore and Tokyo Vice. Fifth Season operates with a full-service worldwide distribution infrastructure and boasts a vast network of production hubs across North America, Europe, and Asia. The company's roster of high-profile collaborators includes Oscar, BAFTA, and Emmy(R)-nominated and winning creators, top-tier talent, and major global distributors.

In addition to its successful slate of original productions, Fifth Season's distribution arm handles an impressive third-party library of hundreds of titles, including hit series such as Killing Eve, The Morning Show, and The Night Manager. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, New York, and London, with offices worldwide. Shareholders include CJ ENM, Toho, and Endeavor.

About Mar-Key Pictures

Mar-Key Pictures is a film and television production company helmed by Leslie Urdang whose feature credits include the Award-winning Beginners (Academy, Golden Globe, SAG, and BAFTA Awards for Christopher Plummer, Gotham Award winner for Best Picture), Rabbit Hole (Academy and Golden Globe nomination for Nicole Kidman), The Seagull starring Annette Bening, and Saoirse Ronan, (2019 Women's Image Network Award), John Patrick Shanley's Wild Mountain Thyme starring Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan, Jon Hamm and Christopher Walken, A Midsummer Night¹s Dream, directed by Michael Hoffman, starring Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, Stanley Tucci, and Christian Bale, The Oranges starring Hugh Laurie, Allison Janney and Oliver Platt, Thanks for Sharing starring Mark Ruffalo, The Family Fang starring Nicole Kidman and Jason Bateman, Adam, starring Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne, Game Six starring Michael Keaton and Robert Downey Jr, Twelve and Holding The Great New Wonderful, The Narrows, Me and Veronica, and People I Know starring Al Pacino.

About Likely Story

Likely Story is a bi-coastal film and television production company founded by Anthony Bregman and Stefanie Azpiazu in 2006. Likely Story's television series include Living With Yourself (Netflix) starring Paul Rudd, nominated for a Golden Globe; and the second season of Modern Love (Prime Video).

About Anonymous Content

Anonymous Content is a global media company that produces premium content and boasts an exceptional roster of renowned directors, writers, and actors. Its award-winning Film, TV, and Documentary division, AC Studios, has delivered critically acclaimed works, including Academy Award and Emmy winners such as The Revenant, Spotlight, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Mr. Robot, along with Golden Globe-nominated recent projects The Nickel Boys, True Detective: Season 4, Alfonso Cuarón's Disclaimer, and upcoming series East of Eden starring Florence Pugh, and Neuromancer starring Callum Turner. Anonymous Content also operates internationally through co-ventures and partnerships. Through its Commercial division, the company continues to create campaigns for leading global brands. For more information, visit www.anonymouscontent.com.

Their films have won awards at the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Gotham's, Indie Spirits, and Cannes, Berlin, Tribeca and Sundance Film Festivals, among others, and include the Academy Award-winning Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Foxcatcher, Sing Street, Do Revenge, In the Heights, Flora and Son, Eileen, You Hurt My Feelings, Private Life, The Half of It, Friends With Money, Begin Again, Enough Said, American Ultra, Our Idiot Brother, Synecdoche, New York, Please Give, The Savages, Thumbsucker, Collateral Beauty, The Circle, and Someone Great, among many others. Likely Story's upcoming releases include Doin' It directed by Sara Zandieh, Come Closer written and directed by Tom Nesher, and Power Ballad written and directed by John Carney.

About MGM+

MGM+, an Amazon company, is a premium linear channel and streaming service delivering a broad lineup of exclusive original series and docuseries, current movie releases, and classic film franchises - all available in the U.S. on TV, on-demand, online, and across devices. MGM+ is a destination for premium content, with original series including sci-fi horror series FROM, Emmy-winning Godfather of Harlem, the Western adventure Billy the Kid, mystery Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue, and the upcoming horror thriller The Institute and the romantic adventure Robin Hood, along with cinematic dramatic series Rogue Heroes, Belgravia, and War of the Worlds. The network is also the home of acclaimed docuseries, including the critically acclaimed In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon, Emmy-nominated Laurel Canyon, My Life as a Rolling Stone, NFL Icons, Hollywood Black, and The Wonderland Massacre & The Secret History of Hollywood. Premium movies are also available, including Gladiator II, Nickel Boys, Blink Twice, Challengers, IF, Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning, The Beekeeper, American Fiction, and Mean Girls.

MGM+ is available nationwide through cable, telco, satellite, digital distribution channels and the MGM+ app. For more information about the current MGM+ lineup, go to www.mgmplus.com or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.