Ellen Barkin & Scott Speedman to Star in TNT's Drama Pilot ANIMAL KINGDOM

Accoridng to Variety, Ellen Barkin and Scott Speedman have signed on for TNT's drama pilot ANIMAL KINGDOM, a family crime drama set in a gritty surf community, hailing from executive producers John Wells and Jonathan Lisco.

Per the report, in the pilot, based upon the 2010 Australian film, "Barkin plays Janine "Smurf" Cody. A working-class mom with what appears to be a picket-fence lifestyle, she is actually the boot-tough matriarch of an organized crime family. Smurf has enough authority to make even the most dangerous men tremble in her presence. Speedman plays Barry "Baz" Brown, who was adopted by the Cody family when he was 12. He now leads the group in their armed robberies, but he also thinks of breaking away from a life of crime."

A renowned actress of the stage, and small and big screens, Barkin has starred in countless feature films including Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, This Boy's Life, Sea of Love, Brooklyn's Finest, She Hate Me, Women Had Wings, Someone Like You..., Drop Dead Gorgeous, Switch, The Big Easy and Ocean's Thirteen. Her television credits include THE NEW NORMAL and Modern Family.

Barkin was honored with a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play in 2011 for her role as "Dr. Emma Brookner" in THE NORMAL HEART on Broadway.

The actor was recently seen in the ill-fated ABC drama Last Resort. He is best known for his role as "Ben' opposite Keri Russell in 'Felicity.' His film credits include the The Vow and The Strangers.

Photo Credit: MediaPunch Inc / Rex USA, Greg Allen

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