The Twilight Zone has always attracted major names across entertainment, letting some of the biggest stars in film and television get the chance to stretch their sci-fi and horror muscles. But even among celebrities, the six stars from Friends left the mega-popular series as some of the biggest names in the TV world. Now, it looks like one of them might actually be coming to one of television’s strangest and most unique dimensions.
The Illuminerdi has learned that CBS approached Lisa Kudrow to take on a starring role in one of the upcoming episodes of the CBS All Access reboot of The Twilight Zone.
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WELCOME TO THE TWILIGHT ZONE
Jordan Peele’s Twilight Zone reboot began last year. The new series is the successor to the classic Rod Serling show of the same name. An anthology series that tackles the human condition through the lens of sci-fi and horror stories, The Twilight Zone became one of the most influential shows of the 20th century.
It has been remade various times over the years, although the most recent has been the most openly mature in its storytelling. The first season of the show featured episodes that tackled racial profiling through a time-traveling camcorder, possession over a mysterious blue gun, and toxic masculinity with a rage virus.
Peele’s take on the series recruited major stars during the first season of the show, including Kumail Nanjiani, Tracy Morgan, Adam Scott, Sanaa Lathan, Steven Yeun, Greg Kinnear, John Cho, Jacob Tremblay, Allison Tolman, Jessica Williams, DeWanda Wise, Taissa Farmiga, Ginnifer Goodwin, Chris O’Dowd, Zazie Beetz, and Seth Rogen.
It’s only natural that Peele would try to bring more celebrities to the upcoming season. The new season, currently in development, is slated to feature Morena Baccarin, Tony Hale, Daniel Sunjata, Billy Porter, Jenna Elfman, Christopher Meloni, Joel McHale, Jimmi Simpson, and Gillian Jacobs in starring roles. But the episodes are still being developed, which could lead to more surprising stars to come to the strange dimension.
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WHY LISA KUDROW COMING TO THE TWILIGHT ZONE WOULD BE SUCH A BIG DEAL
The episode is currently slated to be the penultimate episode of the season. Although our sources suggest the script hasn’t been completed yet, Peele and his fellow producers are already set on the concept they want to use. The episode will center around Mrs. Warren, an upper-middle-class wife and mother who’s become unhappy with her station in life. But this sadness and grief makes her unique among her neighbors, giving her the chance to resist the Fulfillment Center that has seemingly consumed the desires of her peers.
It’s a seemingly meaty role for Kudrow, especially as Mrs. Warren is the only listed lead character. It would also fit well with Kudrow’s experience, melding her natural likability with a genuine sense of pathos. Kudrow was one of the stars of the hit series Friends, where she played the goofy and charming Phoebe Buffay. She was one of the chief six characters of the film, becoming one of the most well-paid actresses on television at the height of the show’s popularity.
Kudrow most recently appeared in a guest-starring role in The Good Place. Seeing her make the leap into The Twilight Zone could be an exciting development for the show and for Kudrow, as she’s been reappearing in more varied and exciting roles recently.
The Twilight Zone is expected to return sometime to CBS All Access in 2020.
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