Michiel Huisman has been tapped as the male lead opposite Taylor Schilling in NBC‘s crime drama pilot What The Dead Know, from Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Written by Beth Rinehart, the procedural is based on former New York City death investigator Barbara Butcher’s memoir of the same name.
What the Dead Know centers on highly intelligent, hyper-vigilant death Investigator Ava Ledger (Schilling) who is really good with dead bodies. It’s the living that give her trouble. The series follows Ava as she teams with the NYPD to solve their toughest cases.
Huisman will play William Grant, an experienced NYPD homicide detective who thinks justice is simple – black and white.
This marks the first series regular role on U.S. broadcast television for the Dutch actor who recurred on the first two seasons of Nashville when the country music drama was airing on ABC.
Illustrating how competitive network bookings have become post-Peak TV, Huisman — whose extensive resume includes lead roles on The Haunting Of Hill House, The Flight Attendant, Angela Black and Echo 3 and series regular gigs on Game of Thrones, Treme and Mayfair Witches — was one of three actors who tested for the role of William.
Rinehart executive produces What the Dead Know with Wolf Entertainment’s Dick Wolf, Tom Thayer, Peter Jankowski and Anastasia Puglisi. Kevin Plunkett, Rebecca McGill and Butcher co-executive produce. Fred Berner is director/executive producer.
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Huisman recently starred on Apple TV’s Echo 3 and recurred on Netflix’s The Abandons. He is a new series regular on the upcoming third season of AMC’s Mayfair Witches in a likely one-year deal given his casting on What The Dead Know. Huisman, whose film credits include the Rebel Moon franchise, Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Age of Adeline, is repped by UTA, Conway van Gelder Grant, Authentic Talent and Peikoff Mahan.
