Jane Fonda Will Join John Gallagher Jr., Jeff Daniels and More for Aaron Sorkin's HBO Series, "Newsroom"

By Michael Gioia
15 Dec 2011

Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda
Photo by Joseph Marzullo/WENN

Tony Award nominee Jane Fonda (33 Variations, There Was a Little Girl) has signed on to join the star-studded cast of Aaron Sorkin's upcoming HBO series, according to TVLine.com.

Sorkin's project, tentatively titled "Newsroom," will star Tony Award winner John Gallagher Jr. (Spring Awakening), Tony Award nominees Jeff Daniels (God of Carnage), Alison Pill (Lieutenant of Inishmore) and Sam Waterston (Abe Lincoln in Illinois), as well as West End actress Emily Mortimer (The Merchant of Venice, The Light) in the female lead. The project will also include Thomas Sadoski (The House of Blue Leaves, Other Desert Cities), Josh Pence ("The Social Network"), Olivia Munn and Dev Patel.

"Newsroom" centers on cable news anchor Will McCallister (Daniels) and the show's female executive producer, MacKenzie (Mortimer).

Fonda has signed on for a recurring role as corporate executive Leona Lansing. As previously reported, Pill will play Maggie, an associate producer on the assignment desk, and Munn will play a "sexy financial analyst" on the same cable network as McCallister.

Gallagher Jr. will play Jim, who comes to work on McCallister's show and develops a crush on Maggie. Pence will play Rob, senior producer in charge who has been in a relationship with Maggie for five months and starts to become jealous of Jim. Sadoski will play McCallister's former executive producer who left the network to work for a new show.

Sorkin will produce "Newsroom" alongside Scott Rudin.