CBS’ comedy pilot based on Sarah Cooper’s “How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings” has found its cast. Natalie Morales, Amy Landecker, and Alice Lee will topline the adaptation of the viral TikTok star’s 2018 book. Deadline broke the news.
Set to be directed by Amy York Rubin (“Dead to Me”), the untitled project follows three women “at different stages in their careers at a male-dominated company — played by Morales, Landecker and Lee — who help each other navigate modern gender politics in their professional and personal lives,” the source details.
Cooper penned the pilot with Cindy Chupack (“Better Things”). The latter is serving as showrunner.
“Abby’s,” “Dead to Me,” and “Battle of the Sexes” are among Morales’ previous credits. Also a director, she made her feature directorial debut with “Language Lessons,” a comedy about a Spanish teacher and her student that premiered at this year’s Berlinale.
An alumna of “Transparent,” Landecker’s other credits include “Your Honor” and “Doctor Strange.”
Lee is a series regular on NBC musical “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.” “Brittany Runs a Marathon” and “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser” are among her other credits.
Check out descriptions of Morales, Landecker, and Lee’s characters below, courtesy of Deadline.
Morales will play Joanna, a conflict-averse, people-pleasing middle manager at the small tech company Lucent Muse, whose new hire, Elyse (Lee), challenges her “go along to get along” career philosophy. She lives with her boyfriend of two years, a sweet, loyal guy who might be too sweet and loyal for her.
Landecker will portray Dale, the only woman on the leadership team at Lucent Muse. She lives by the philosophy “What Would Sheryl Sandberg Do” and believes that the way to get ahead in a male-dominated workplace is to work twice as hard and be one of the boys. As the main breadwinner in her marriage, she spends much of her time as many successful women do, in couple’s therapy.
Lee’s Elyse is a recent hire at Lucent Muse. She’s thrilled to be there and to share all of her ideas, however her inability to bite her tongue and just be an observer gets her into trouble with the boys’ club at work, led by a trio of men called The Bryans.
