Julianna Margulies is going from lawyer to magazine editor to scientist. The “Good Wife” alumna and current “Dietland” star has signed on to topline a scripted Ebola drama for National Geographic, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. The former “ER” star already has plenty of medical jargon under her belt.
Set during 1989 in Washington, D.C., “The Hot Zone” sees Margulies playing Dr. Nancy Jaax, “a U.S. Army scientist working with a secret military SWAT team who puts her life on the line to head off an Ebola outbreak before it can spread to the human population,” according to the source.
“Julianna is dream casting for the role of Dr. Nancy Jaax,” said Carolyn Bernstein, executive vp global scripted development and production at National Geographic. “Her rare combination of warmth, strength, humor, and intelligence are the perfect recipe to make this terrifying true story feel relatable, grounded, and human. ‘The Hot Zone’ is the perfect example of National Geographic’s commitment to premium, brand-relevant storytelling that is at once wildly entertaining and deepens people’s understanding of the world.”
“Dietland’s” first season concludes July 30 on AMC. It’s unclear whether Marti Noxon’s feminist portrait of a fat woman’s journey towards radical self-acceptance will return for a second run. Joy Nash (“The Mindy Project”) toplines the series.
