Sarah Shahi is set to topline NBC’s “Reverie” pilot, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. The “Person of Interest” alumna will play a former detective and hostage negotiator “brought in to help save the people affected by the dangerous consequences of Reverie, [a] new, immersive virtual reality program,” the source writes.
Created by Mickey Fisher (“Extant”), the thriller centers on Mara (Shahi), a “rough around the edges” college professor with expertise in human behavior. When the launch of Reverie causes unexpected and dangerous consequences, Mara is hired to help those affected by the technology. Mara is also dealing with drama of her own. According to THR, she has suffered from PTSD “ever since she witnessed her brother-in-law kill her sister and niece.”
Shahi has a lot of great buzz. THR describes the Texas-born Persian actress as “in-demand” and writes that she was “heavily courted across multiple broadcast networks for drama pilots this season and fielded several offers.” Of all the opportunities, she opted to go with the “Reverie” pilot.
Last year Shahi signed on to CBS’ “Drew,” a Nancy Drew reboot that saw Nancy in her 30s and working as an NYPD detective. The pilot was passed over, but showed Shahi’s sustained interest in taking on roles involving the law — she played a homicide detective in NBC’s “Life” from 2007 to 2009, and a legal mediator and former lawyer in USA Network’s “Fairly Legal” from 2011 to 2012. “Reverie” seems right up her alley. Shahi’s other credits include “Chicago Fire” and “The L Word.”
Shahi recently starred in “Seven,” a work described as “documentary theater.” The amazing-sounding production centers on “the true stories of seven women who bravely fought for the well-being of women, families, and children around the globe: in Russia, protecting women from domestic violence; in Cambodia, rescuing girls from human trafficking; in Guatemala, giving voice to the poor; in Afghanistan, empowering rural women; in Nigeria and Pakistan, fighting for women’s education and rights; and in Northern Ireland, promoting peace and equality.”
“Women need to lift each other up now more than ever,” Shahi wrote on her Instagram account. “Every voice counts. Let’s give a voice to those who don’t have one.” The play, which has been translated into 20 languages and staged in 32 countries, was conceived by Carol Mack and written by seven award-winning playwrights: Paula Cizmar, Catherine Filloux, Gail Kriegel, Carol K. Mack, Ruth Margraff, Anna Deavere Smith, and Susan Yankowitz.
