Alan Toy is the latest actor announced in the growing cast of NBC’s Annie Live!, set to air on the network December 2. Toy, a veteran screen performer and a polio survivor, will play President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who lived with the same affliction that resulted in similar paralysis.

“FDR has always been a role model of accomplishment for me,” Toy (Beverly Hills 90210, The Aviator) said. “I tip my hat to NBC and the producers of Annie Live! for authentically casting a person with a disability for this role. I'm proud to represent the community and hope that we will continue to see more of the Disability community in roles across entertainment media."

In addition to his work as a performer, Toy is an advocate for fellow performers with disabilities, including as the first co-chair of SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity’s committee to create positive working environments for disabled members.

The cast also includes newcomer Celina Smith in the title role, Taraji P. Henson as Miss Hannigan, Harry Connick Jr. as Daddy Warbucks, Nicole Scherzinger as Grace, Tituss Burgess as Rooster, and Megan Hilty as Lily St. Regis. Andrea McArdle, Broadway’s original Annie, will step into the newly created role of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

READ: Megan Hilty Will Replace Jane Krakowski in Annie Live! Following COVID Breakthrough Case