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ABC’s Secrets & Lies has found its star for its upcoming drama series. Film star Ryan Phillippe will make has signed on to the project from ABC Studios, Kapital Entertainment and Australia’s Hoodlum.
Secrets & Lies is an adaptation of an Australian series of the same name, which focuses on a man who becomes the suspect in the murder of a young boy when he finds the body. He’s forced to search for the real killer to clear his name and reclaim the family and life he could lose. The project has a 10-episode commitment from ABC.
Phillippe will play Ben Garner, a decent family man who works as a house painter, who is the father of 16-year-old Natalie and 12-year-old Abby and is experiencing marital problems with his wife, Christy. Ben is shocked and upset when he stumbles across the dead body of his 4-year-old neighbor Tom while on his morning run, and now must juggle the media and police attention in addition to his personal worries. He ultimately becomes the prime suspect in Tom’s slaying.
He will be joined by Under the Dome alum Natalie Martinez. She’ll play Jess, the mother of the murdered child found by Ben.
Barbie Kligman (Private Practice, The Vampire Diaries) will write/executive produce the series while serving as showrunner. She’ll be joined by Tracey Robertson and Nathan Mayfield. Charles McDougall will helm the pilot.
This project is Ryan Phillippe’s first since his season five arc on Damages. In 2012, he signed on to Greg Berlanti’s cop drama Golden Boy, but dropped out due to other commitments. The role was later recast with Theo James. Phillippe’s other credits include Cruel Intentions, Crash, The Lincoln Lawyer and Straight A’s.
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