Oliver Platt — last seen on Broadway in Guys and Dolls — will co-star with another stage veteran, Laura Linney, in the Showtime pilot "The C Word."

The dark comedy stars Linney as a suburban wife and mother who has been diagnosed with cancer. Platt will portray her narcissistic but lovable husband. Also slated to be series regulars are stage actors John Benjamin Hickey (Mary Stuart, Cabaret) and Phyllis Somerville (Once in a Lifetime). Bill Condon ("Dreamgirls," "Kinsey") directs the pilot from Darlene Hunt's script.

Showtime — which currently employs other stage stars Mary-Louise Parker ("Weeds"), Edie Falco ("Nurse Jackie"), Michael C. Hall ("Dexter") and Toni Collette ("The United States of Tara") among more — has also previously provided work for Platt on the series "Huff." The actor's other credits include Shining City and "Frost/Nixon." Linney — to be seen next on Broadway in Time Stands Still — has also appeared on stage in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Sight Unseen and The Crucible. Screen creds include "The Savages," "The Squid and the Whale" and "Kinsey."