"I can't believe these words are coming out of my mouth," says T. Scott Cunningham, taking a deep breath before breaking the news: "I have a small recurring role in a new TV series."

The limited-series is "Maximum Bob," which will air Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on ABC (starting Aug. 4) and will run for 12 episodes. It is based on an Elmore Leonard novel and stars Beau Bridges as a Florida judge known for stiff sentences and flamboyant courtroom behavior.

"It was filmed in Miami, and I just finished my final episode," says Cunningham, who had the lead in Nicky Silver's Pterodactyls and Douglas Beane Carter's As Bees in Honey Drown. "I play a corrupt Southern distinct attorney. It was a great experience for me."

Also recruited from the New York stage: Sam Robards, cast as a ballroom dancing sheriff.

Barry Sonnerfeld, who directed the film of Leonard's Get Shorty, is executive producer. -- By Harry Haun