Benicio Del Toro is getting into the comedy game and is reuniting with his Escape at Dannemora colleague Ben Stiller as he does so.
Del Toro is to star in Apple comedy series Protective Custody, which also stars Stiller. It marks the Traffic star’s first leading role in a comedy series.
The actor is fresh from starring as Sergio St. Carlos in One Battle After Another, a karate sensei and leader of the undocumented community in Baktan Cross, which landed him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Deadline broke the news in May that Stiller was going to star in and exec produce the show, which comes from Mike Judge, Steve Hely and Dave King.
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Protective Custody follows a disgraced financier accused of massive fraud who is thrown into protective custody, where he must navigate prison politics, salvage his reputation, and confront the consequences of his actions while awaiting trial.
It comes over ten years after Del Toro and Stiller worked together on Showtime’s prison break drama Escape at Dannemora; Del Toro starred as convicted murderer Richard Matt, who broke out of prison alongside Paul Dano’s David Sweat, who were having a relationship with prison guard Tilly Mitchell, played by Patricia Arquette. Stiller directed and exec produced.
King of the Hill’s Judge, Veep’s Hely and Parks and Recreation’s King will co-write, co-showrun and exec produce with Judge also directing.
It comes from Apple Studios, Red Hour, Propagate Content, and 3 Arts Entertainment with exec producers including Stiller, John Lesher, Ben Silverman, Howard Owens, Rodney Ferrell Michael Rotenberg and Nanette Burstein.
Del Toro is repped by LBI Entertainment, Range Media Partners and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman. Stiller is repped by WME and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.
