National Geographic’s upcoming series, The Right Stuff has cast its Mercury Seven astronauts. Production on the show’s first season will begin this fall.
What’s happening:
- New casting announcements have been made for National Geographic’s forthcoming series, The Right Stuff.
- Last week’s National Geographic announced the series and revealed that Patrick J. Adams would star as Major John Glenn.
- The Right Stuff will be an episodic series based on the non-fiction book by Tom Wolfe.
- Today, Deadline is reporting that six others have joined the series:
- Jake McDorman as Alan Shepard (What We Do in the Shadows)
- Joe Dempsie as Lt. Gordon Cooper (Game of Thrones)
- Aaron Staton as Wally Schirra (Narcos: Mexico)
- Michael Trotter as Gus Grissom (Underground)
- Micah Stock as Deke Slayton (Escape at Dannemora)
- James Lafferty as Scott Carpenter (Castle Rock)
Jake McDorman
Joe Dempsie
Aaron Staton
Michael Trotter
Micah Stock
- This completes the casting of the Mercury Seven– the team of astronaut hopefuls who made it their mission to be part of NASA’s Project Mercury.
- Production will begin this fall in Cocoa Beach, Fla., and will premiere globally on National Geographic in 2020.
The Mercury Seven|NASA
About the roles the in National Geographic’s The Right Stuff:
- Adams plays Maj. John Glenn, a revered test pilot and committed family man with unwavering principles
- McDorman portrays Alan Shepard, one of the best test pilots in Navy history, who is furiously competitive
- Dempsie plays Lt. Gordon Cooper, the youngest of the seven who was selected to everyone’s surprise
- Staton portrays Wally Schirra, a competitive pilot with a gift for pulling pranks
- Lafferty plays Scott Carpenter, a soulful man who was dubbed “The Poet” by the other astronauts
- Stock portrays Deke Slayton, a taciturn but incredibly intelligent pilot and engineer
- Trotter plays Gus Grissom, a no-nonsense test pilot who eventually becomes the second man in space
Did you know?:
- Wolfe’s book was adapted into a movie in 1983. At the time the cast included:
- Ed Harris as Glenn
- Scott Glenn as Shepard
- Dennis Quaid as Cooper
- Lance Henriksen as Schirra
- Charles Frank as Carpenter
- Scott Paulin as Slayton
- Fred Ward as Grissom
Creative team:
- Executive producers:
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Jennifer Davisson
- Mark Lafferty (Castle Rock, Halt and Catch Fire)
- Will Staples (Animals, Shooter)
- David Nutter (Game of Thrones, Band of Brothers)
- Showrunner:
- Mark Lafferty
- Premiere episode director:
- David Nutter
- Michael Hampton shepherded this project on behalf of Appian Way.