Philip Seymour Hoffman 'Happyish' - Steve Coogan Replaces Late 'Hunger Games: Mockingjay' Actor In Showtime Series
While many of us are aware of Philip Seymour Hoffman's untimely death resulting in some digital magic being used in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay for the scenes he had yet to film, there was another, arguably bigger project that was left in limbo as well. Hoffman was getting ready to star in his own TV series over on Showtime called Happyish before he passed away, leaving this series on the cusp of being scrapped and cancelled. This week, however, we've learned that Steve Coogan has been cast to star in the series, filling the role that was written for Hoffman.
You can read our previous coverage of Hoffman's death and the early reports of Happyish being cancelled here.
"Coogan will star in the lead role of Thom Payne, a 44-year-old man whose world is thrown into disarray when his 25 year-old 'wunderkind' boss arrives, saying things like 'digital,' 'social' and 'viral,'" Showtime announced in a press release this week. "Is he in need of a 'rebranding,' as his mentor insists, or does he just have a 'low joy ceiling,' as his corporate headhunter suggests? Maybe pursuing happiness is a fool's errand? Maybe, after 44 years on this ludicrous planet, settling for Happyish is the best one can expect."
According to Slash Film, Showtime had already filmed a pilot episode of Happyish with Hoffman, meaning the network has to scrap that episode and film a new on with Coogan. For now, cast members Kathryn Hahn and Rhys Ifans are presumably still involved, though that is definitely not a confirmed update for this show just yet.
It's obviously very sad that Hoffman has passed away and that we won't see him on this great show, but having Coogan star in the series is a whole different story. If you're unfamiliar with Coogan, he's a perfect mixture of absolute hilarity with astounding dramatic talents as well. This role is perfect for him.
What do you think of this casting news? Let us know in the comments section below!