Kristen Johnson is headed to Netflix.
The Emmy-winning 3rd Rock From the Sun grad has been tapped to star opposite comedian Leanne Morgan in the untitled Netflix project from co-creator Chuck Lorre.
The muticamera sitcom, which was picked up with a 16-episode straight-to-series order last month, revolves around Leanne, whose life “takes an unexpected turn when her husband of 33 years leaves her for another woman. Starting over when you’re a grandmother and in menopause isn’t exactly what she had in mind, but with the help of her family she will navigate this new chapter with grace, dignity and Jell-O salad.”
Johnson will star as Carol, Leanne’s sister and complete opposite. She’s twice divorced with no kids, and if there’s a choice between going to church and going to a bar, she will always choose the latter. Despite their differences, Carol is fiercely loyal to her sister and is her ride or die.
The casting marks a reunion for Johnson with Lorre and co-creator Susan McMartin after the actress spent four seasons starring on their CBS comedy, Mom. Johnson’s credits also include HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones, The Exes and guest stints on Our Flag Means Death, Modern Family and ER, among others. She earned two Emmy wins for supporting actress in a comedy for her turn in the NBC sitcom 3rd Rock From the Sun. She’s repped by Buchwald, Berwick & Kovacik and Hansen Jacobson.
Exec producers on the Morgan comedy include co-creators Morgan, Martin and Lorre as well as Judi Marmel. The series hails from Warner Bros. Television, where Lorre has been housed with an overall deal for years.
A premiere time frame has not yet been determined.