Hulu's Drama Pilot "Chicks" Gets Three New Cast Additions and a Director

The cast of Hulu's upcoming drama pilot Chicks continues to grow with the addition of three new cast members and a director.

What's Happening:

• Deadline reports that Jason Schmidt (Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies), Julia Lester (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series), and Piper Runge (The Chair Company) have joined the cast of the Hulu pilot Chicks.
• Chicks centers on Chickie, played by Ellen Pompeo, and her estranged half-sister Doreen, played by Jodie Whittaker. The pair find themselves struggling financially when their father unexpectedly dies. Rather than leaving behind a fortune, he leaves them with a legacy rooted in small-time crime.
• Schmidt will play Sally, Jr., who is known to his big half-sisters as “The Squirt.” Sally, Jr. is a finance bro with the heart of a golden retriever. Hungry for his family’s approval, he lashes out when he feels it slipping from his grasp.
• Lester will play Sinead, who is freshly out of prison for a handful of OUIs (the Massachusetts equivalent of a DUI). The wickedly funny Sinead is ready to help her mom, Doreen, pay the bills and navigate grief, while still struggling to find her own sense of purpose.
• Runge plays Lori, a chip off her mom Chickie’s block. Lori is a capable, whip-smart nursing student who, after a lifetime of ticking boxes, might be ready to select ‘none of the above.’
• Additionally, Max Winkler, known for his work on a number of Ryan Murphy projects, has joined the pilot as its director and executive producer.
• The 20th Television pilot hails from writer and producer Katie Robbins, who previously collaborated with Pompeo on a Good American Family.
• The idea for Chicks originated with Robbins and was developed specifically for Pompeo. The project was inspired by conversations the pair had while working together on Good American Family, which became one of Hulu’s notable drama releases.

More Disney TV News:

• The illustrious British cast of Only Murders in the Building continues to expand with the addition of Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman.
• The first trailer for FX’s throwback drama The Drop: A Snowfall Saga has officially arrived. 
• Witney Carson is pregnant, but she'll still be on the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars with Guillermo of Jimmy Kimmel fame.
• Actress and singer Hayden Panettiere, who has been seen on screens both big and small over the last 3 decades, has passed away at the age of 36.