Huffman will play the female lead in the hour-long project, which co-stars Timothy Hutton. "American Crime" is written by John Ridley, who also is the executive producer.
The pilot, according to Deadline, centers on "the racially charged murder of a war veteran and the subsequent trial, which are examined through the personal lives of the players involved. Huffman will play Barb Skokie, Russ’ (Hutton) stoic ex-wife and mother of the killed young man, Matt. She raised her two sons alone in public housing while her husband was off gambling. She still resents living as the only single white woman in a racially charged environment and being treated accordingly by the other occupants. Determined to hold someone accountable for Matt’s murder, Barb plans to stay close to the investigation and get answers."
Huffman made her Broadway debut in David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow.
