List of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip characters
Encyclopedia
This article contains summaries of characters appearing on the TV series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
.
List of cast members, left to right (as seen in the image):
(Bradley Whitford
) is a producer who takes over show-running duties with Matt Albie, his long-time friend, and who worked on the show four years prior, before leaving with Matt over disagreements with network executives. In the pilot, it is revealed that he has a history of drug problems, specifically with cocaine
, and recently suffered a relapse after 11 years of sobriety. Danny has to complete 18 months of clean drug tests to pass completion bonds as a film director; while this information was confidential, Jordan McDeere discovers this via a personal contact and offers Danny a two-year contract of convenience on Studio 60 - "...this way, it works out for everybody". He is twice-divorced and is apparently an alcoholic; in "The Long Lead Story", he tells Jordan it's okay for her to drink alcohol in front of him. Danny claims to be the smarter of the Matt and Danny duo, a contention Matt doesn't argue with.
Matt Albie
(Matthew Perry
) is a former head writer for Studio 60 who in the show's pilot episode, is asked to return when executive producer Wes Mendell is fired. With Danny, Matt has gone from strength to strength, with the pair going onto films and Matt even winning a Writer's Guild
Award on the night featured in the pilot. It is because of his loyalty to his friend and his history with Studio 60 that Matt accepts the position back on the show. This also puts him in an awkward position; he has recently ended a relationship with Studio 60 star Harriet Hayes, for whom he still holds strong personal feelings. He is Jewish (although he appears to be an atheist) and has liberal
political leanings. In "The West Coast Delay", it is revealed that he was forced out of the show originally for supporting talk show host Bill Maher
in the light of comments that Maher made following the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Jordan McDeere
(Amanda Peet
) is the recently promoted President for Entertainment Programming for the network NBS (National Broadcasting System) of which Studio 60 is the flagship show. She is described in the pilot script as an "instantly likeable 30-something" and "someone who every man's wife can find an irrational reason to hate". While Jordan's previous credentials are impressive, she knows that confidence in her is not very high (on the pilot, she mentions that on the day of the announcement of her hiring, the share price of NBS's parent company instantly took a 3/8 point dip) and the pressure on her to deliver is strong, with particularly intense scrutiny coming from network chairman Jack Rudolph. In the pilot, Jordan is responsible for the hiring of Danny and Matt, knowing of the pair's abrasive history with the show (and Jack). In "The Cold Open", Jordan proposes a network policy of charging a 20% "cowardice fee" surcharge for advertisers who had acquiesced to boycotts by the Christian right
but came back after the boycotted show in question turned out to be successful. Jordan clearly delights in the challenge set to her and almost deliberately courts confrontation, confident in the skills of the people around her. In "The Focus Group", Jack reveals that her ex-husband is working on a tell-all book about her. At one wrap party, Danny told Jordan, "You look like one of them[network executives] but talk like one of us", due to her willingness to side with the talent in arguments. She may have attended Amherst College
, as she wore a sweatshirt from there in "The Long Lead Story". On October 20, 2006, Peet revealed on The Tonight Show that McDeere is loosely based on Jamie Tarses
.
Harriet Hayes
(Sarah Paulson
) is a "multi-talented" performer and one of the "Big Three" main stars of Studio 60. As she describes to journalist Martha O'Dell in "The Long Lead Story", Harriet was born in Brighton, Michigan
— and uses her middle name because a Hannah Hayes was already registered in the Screen Actors Guild
. She is an evangelical
Baptist
and has recorded a successful album of spiritual music. In the pilot, the recent ending of her romantic relationship with Matt Albie is suggested to have been caused by her appearance on The 700 Club
, where she promoted her album. In the pilot, Harriet stood by the controversial "Crazy Christians" sketch and its contents, demonstrating fierce loyalty to the show. She tells Tom that rather than being offended by "Crazy Christians", she was more upset about not being in the sketch. However, later in her confrontation with Matt she confessed to also being upset about the sketch. She received her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University
. Harriet's character is based on West Wing alumna Kristin Chenoweth
, whom Sorkin once dated.
Tom Jeter
(Nate Corddry
) is another of the show's "Big Three". While his comedic skills and gifts for character parody are acknowledged, he is self-critical and often looks on the Internet at critics' appraisals. According to the pilot script, "when he's not crafting a joke in his head, he's not sure what he's supposed to be doing". In "The Wrap Party", Tom's parents drive from Ohio to visit him, and demonstrate their lack of understanding of his work. In the same episode, Tom mentions that he sent body armor to his younger brother Mark's unit in Afghanistan. In the "Nevada Day" episodes, we find out that Tom's younger brother is in fact a part of an elite group of armed forces that construct buildings incredibly fast, such as "a hospital in three days" (quote taken from the episodes).
Simon Stiles
(D. L. Hughley
) is the final member of the "Big Three". After attending the Yale School of Drama
, and frustrated about parts lost to other prominent black performers (Jamie Foxx
, Will Smith
and Denzel Washington
are named as examples), Simon was recruited to the cast of Studio 60. He feels limited by his skills as a comedic performer, unable to do "voices". However, it is seen by his subsequent place in the "Big Three", the enthusiastic response of the audience to his warm-up to the show, and the respect shown to him by Danny in the initial episodes that Simon has rightfully earned his place in the Studio 60 cast. He may be based on black SNL player with a long tenure but a low comedic ceiling, Tim Meadows. Tom and Simon are united by their "mutual respect, their dedication to their show and nothing else." As he told Matt in "The Wrap Party", Simon grew up in South Central Los Angeles and risked death or imprisonment as a teenager.
Jack Rudolph (Steven Weber
) is the chairman of the network NBS and Jordan's boss. Jack has a history of controversy with Matt and Danny, having caused the pair to quit Studio 60 four years earlier (in the wake of 9/11), when he ordered the two to apologize for a Karl Rove
sketch he had expressly approved following pressure from conservative Christian groups. While his frustrations at the re-hiring of Matt and Danny are evident, his main focus of administrative swagger is over Jordan, upon whom he places enormous pressure to succeed. In the pilot, he says, "I'm not like the other heterosexual males in the show business, Jordan. I don't find you charming." Jack has a quick and intense temper which he frequently brandishes, but is also a man of conviction, coming to Jordan's defense in a period of personal turmoil and vehemently defending the independence of the nightly news. Jack reports to Wilson White, Chairman of TMG, NBS's parent company.
Cal Shanley
(Timothy Busfield
) is the technical director
of Studio 60. He has two children he is putting through private school. In the pilot, he allows Wes to rant unscripted for 53 seconds on live television, despite threats from network Standards and Practices executive Jerry; Danny so highly approved that he told Cal he would have earned a raise had he let Wes rant for 54 seconds. Cal is thoroughly upbeat with an equally fast-and-fluid sense of humor. (Busfield had a recurring guest role on The West Wing and also directed six episodes of Studio 60.)
(Evan Handler
) and Ron Oswald
(Carlos Jacott
) are writers and, as part of their $30,000-an-episode contracts, current co-executive producers of Studio 60. They stepped into the creative void left by Danny and Matt when the pair were fired and in the pilot are portrayed as poor writers, "hacks" and command little professional respect from the stars of the show. Matt refers to them as "Beavis and Hackboy". It is revealed that Matt harbors a grudge against them because when he came out in support of Bill Maher
after he made a controversial on-air remark, Ricky released a statement hanging Matt out to dry. They may have won an Emmy for writing in the past (Matt mentions this in the context of a disparagement of which other parts were made up). In "The Option Period", Ricky and Ron leave the show to pursue a spin-off pilot on Fox
of "Peripheral Vision Man", a Studio 60 sketch.
Wes Mendell
(Judd Hirsch
) is the former executive producer
and creator of Studio 60. His power is dwindling and he is furious with the network for bowing down to the FCC
and religious groups. In the events of the pilot, he is the catalyst that brings Matt and Danny back to the show, fired on the night for the hijacking of the live broadcast of Studio 60 and ranting an improvised tirade, similar to that in the film Network
(which is commented on in the pilot itself), venting against bureaucratic control, the influence of minority groups in the censorship of the network, and the nature of the broadcast
industry. It is stated that he has worked with many of the great comedy writers and performers, such as Richard Pryor
. He is referenced in various episodes, but appears only in the pilot.
Wilson White (Edward Asner) is the Chairman of Tunney Media Group, the parent company of the National Broadcasting System. This may be a (thinly) veiled reference to Jack Welch
, the former head of General Electric
, the parent company of NBC (Via NBC Universal
), the network carrying the actual show. His interest in Studio 60 is usually minor, although at times uses it for business ventures, such as in "Nevada Day" when in order to secure a deal he arranges for Tom Jeter
of Studio 60 to entertain Kim Tao, the daughter of a potential business client.
Jerry Jones (Michael Stuhlbarg
) works for NBS as network censor. He is in charge of Standards and Practices and responsible for cutting a controversial sketch in "Pilot". The cut results in a furious on-air rant from Wes. Jerry later appears during flashbacks in "K&R Part II" asking Matt and Danny to cut a sketch about Karl Rove
in the show following the beginning of the war in Afghanistan.
Jeannie Whatley (Ayda Field
) is a cast member who sleeps with Matt from time to time. This revelation leads Harriet to blow up at Matt in front of the show's writing team. She is considered a gossip on set; in "The Option Period", she leaked the news that Harriet was considering posing for a lingerie spread in a men's magazine, and Matt quipped that he didn't think there was such thing as the Internet
, there was only "Jeannie telling people stuff".
Alex Dwyer (Simon Helberg
) is one of the cast members of Studio 60. He is not a member of the "Big Three", but is recognized as the complement to Harriet Hayes
, being the lead male impressionist
in the cast. He has at least one recurring sketch, The Nicolas Cage
Show, in which he plays the title character, and has also portrayed Tom Cruise
and Ben Stiller
on the show.
Dylan Killington (Nate Torrence
) is one of the cast members of Studio 60. He is a rookie on the show and doesn't appear to have garnered much respect yet from the likes of the Big Three. In "Nevada Day 2", Matt picks Dylan to perform in the "News 60" sketch in case Simon doesn't return from Nevada in time for the show; Dylan is very insecure and self-conscious about his appearance in such a high-profile role until Matt goads Jeannie into flattering and flirting with Dylan to boost his confidence.
Samantha Li (Camille Chen
) is one of the cast members of Studio 60. Her most notable sketch is "Samantha Li's Thai Therapy".
Lucy Kenwright
(Lucy Davis
) is an English junior writer on the show and the only pre-Matt and Danny writer to remain after Ricky and Ron's departure. She then begins a romantic relationship with Tom Jeter.
Marylyn Rudolph (Kirstin Pierce) is the wife of Jack Rudolph (Steven Weber
). At some point during the run of the series, they separate.
Darren Wells (Teddy Sears
) is a professional baseball player, the pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers
. He started dating Harriet after she sang the National Anthem at a Los Angeles Dodgers
game. In "The Wrap Party", Harriet found out that Darren also wrote his phone number on a baseball given to Jordan, which apparently ended the relationship.
Martha O'Dell (Christine Lahti
) is a journalist writing a "long lead story" about Matt and Danny's return to Studio 60 for Vanity Fair
.
Kevin Yu (Kelvin Yu) is Jordan's assistant.
Wendy (Cyia Batten
) is a member of the "Bombshell Babies" (a dance group similar to The Pussycat Dolls) and Matt's former girlfriend. In "The West Coast Delay" she talks Matt out of a plan to have her sign a stiletto boot in an attempt to get back at Harriet, who had given Matt a baseball bat with Darren Wells's phone number written on it. She reappears a few episodes later at the end of a dinner honoring Harriet and helps Matt back to the theater, where she reveals that she is newly engaged.
Shelley Green (Wendy Phillips
) is an employee of the network who works closely with Jack Rudolph.
Darius Hawthorne (Columbus Short
) is a junior writer who is hired by Matt Albie and Simon Stiles after seeing his stand-up act in "The Wrap Party".
Luke Scott (Josh Stamberg
) used to be a writer on the show and is Matt's main rival for Harriet. He is currently directing a movie about The Rolling Stones
and he cast Harriet to play Anita Pallenberg
.
Lilly Rodriguez (Diana-Maria Riva
) is the assistant director of the show.
Andy Mackinaw (Mark McKinney
) was introduced in "B-12" after Ricky and Ron's departure (from the prior episode: "The Option Period") when Matt needed an extra writer's help. Andy was previously a writer on Studio 60 years before, while Matt and Danny were still there. After Matt and Danny's initial departure from the show, Andy's wife and daughter died in tragic circumstances. It is revealed in a flashback scene in "K & R, Part I" that Matt never saw Andy smile until he walked into the writer's room in 2001 and announced his daughter's birth.
Suzanne (Merritt Wever
) used to be a PA on the show before becoming Matt's assistant. She is the first to confront Matt about his drug use in the episode "Breaking News", revealing that her mother took 20-30 Percocet
s a day before killing herself when Suzanne was 10.
Hallie Galloway (Stephanie Childers) is the Vice President of Alternative Programming (a.k.a. Illiterate Programming, Reality TV) for NBS and has developed an adversarial relationship with Jordan. She first appears in the episode "Monday". Jordan has expressed her fear that Galloway is being groomed to take her place after the rocky start to McDeere's tenure as president of the network.
Mary Tate (Kari Matchett
) is a lawyer from Gage Whitney Pace who is investigating a sexual harassment
suit by Karen Salzburg, a writer who was fired from the show. She has an obvious sexual and romantic interest in Matt.
Herb Sheldon (John F. Carpenter) is the announcer for the show.
Zhang Tao (Raymond Ma) is a Chinese businessman who is behind a multi-million-dollar merger with NBS to turn the city of Macau
into "the Las Vegas
of East Asia
." Zhang becomes a key player when the board of NBS attempts to remove Wilson White as chairman and CEO.
Kim Tao (Julia Ling
) is the daughter of Zhang Tao and a viola
prodigy. She is infatuated with Tom Jeter.
Maisie (Michael Hyatt
) was Matt's assistant before she left the show with Ricky and Ron.
Blair (Donna Murphy
) was Danny Tripp's personal assistant before he got hired at Studio 60. She appears only in the "Pilot" episode.
Tim Batale was a person who Matt Albie remembered working at Studio 60 when he was originally a staff writer. Tim, in reality, is a false memory of Matt's, created by his subconscious, to serve as another iteration of his own persona. Tim gets fired for being high, and tries to "write his way back onto the show" by having Joe put his sketch in the pile for Wes to read. Matt always remembers him "wearing a blue button-down shirt and khaki pants. Tim is present in the episode "The Friday Night Slaughter" and it is revealed at the end that it was in fact Matt who dressed in a blue button-down shirt and khakis. Tim Batale is an anagram of Matt Albie.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was an American dramedy television series created and written by Aaron Sorkin. It ran for 22 episodes.The series takes place behind the scenes of a live sketch comedy show on the fictional television network NBS , whose format is similar to that of NBC's...
.
Cast
- Timothy BusfieldTimothy BusfieldTimothy "Timmy B" Busfield is an American actor and director best known for his role as Eliot Weston on the television series Thirtysomething and his recurring role as Danny Concannon on the television series The West Wing...
(Cal ShanleyCal ShanleyCalvin Shanley is a fictional character on the US television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Timothy Busfield.-Personal History:...
) - Nathan Corddry (Tom JeterTom JeterTom Jeter is a fictional character on the American television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Nate Corddry.-Personal history:...
) - Sarah PaulsonSarah Paulson-Career:She was a series regular on the cult television show American Gothic and the WB series Jack & Jill , playing the character "Elisa Cronkite"...
(Harriet HayesHarriet HayesHannah Harriet Hayes is a fictional character on the US television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Sarah Paulson. The character is loosely based on actress Kristin Chenoweth ;; there is an opinion that she is also at least partially based on former Saturday...
) - D.L. Hughley (Simon StilesSimon StilesSimon Stiles is a fictional character on the U.S. television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by D.L. Hughley.-Personal history:One of the "Big Three" cast members of Studio 60, Simon Stiles joined the show in 2001...
) - Steven WeberSteven Weber (actor)Steven Robert Weber is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the television show Wings which aired throughout the 1990s on NBC.-Early life:...
(Jack Rudolph) - Matthew PerryMatthew Perry (actor)Matthew Langford Perry is a Canadian-American actor and comedian, best known for his Emmy-nominated role as Chandler Bing on the popular, long-running NBC television sitcom Friends...
(Matt AlbieMatt AlbieMatthew Albie is a fictional character on the U.S. TV series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Matthew Perry.-Personal history:Matt began working at Studio 60 in 1997, but remained largely anonymous until 1999, when Harriet Hayes joined the cast...
) - Amanda PeetAmanda PeetAmanda Peet is an American actress, who has appeared on film, stage, and television. After studying with Uta Hagen at Columbia University, Peet began her career in television commercials, and progressed to small roles on television, before making her film debut in 1995...
(Jordan McDeereJordan McDeereJordan McDeere is a fictional character on the United States television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Amanda Peet.-Personal history:Jordan is the president of the National Broadcasting System, a great achievement for a woman of her age...
) - Bradley WhitfordBradley WhitfordBradley Whitford is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles as Deputy White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman on the NBC television drama The West Wing, as Danny Tripp on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, as Dan Stark in the Fox police buddy-comedy The Good Guys, as...
(Danny TrippDanny TrippDaniel Tripp is a fictional character on the US television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Bradley Whitford.-Personal history:Danny Tripp was educated at Northwestern University...
)
Major roles
Danny TrippDanny Tripp
Daniel Tripp is a fictional character on the US television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Bradley Whitford.-Personal history:Danny Tripp was educated at Northwestern University...
(Bradley Whitford
Bradley Whitford
Bradley Whitford is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles as Deputy White House Chief of Staff Josh Lyman on the NBC television drama The West Wing, as Danny Tripp on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, as Dan Stark in the Fox police buddy-comedy The Good Guys, as...
) is a producer who takes over show-running duties with Matt Albie, his long-time friend, and who worked on the show four years prior, before leaving with Matt over disagreements with network executives. In the pilot, it is revealed that he has a history of drug problems, specifically with cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, and recently suffered a relapse after 11 years of sobriety. Danny has to complete 18 months of clean drug tests to pass completion bonds as a film director; while this information was confidential, Jordan McDeere discovers this via a personal contact and offers Danny a two-year contract of convenience on Studio 60 - "...this way, it works out for everybody". He is twice-divorced and is apparently an alcoholic; in "The Long Lead Story", he tells Jordan it's okay for her to drink alcohol in front of him. Danny claims to be the smarter of the Matt and Danny duo, a contention Matt doesn't argue with.
Matt Albie
Matt Albie
Matthew Albie is a fictional character on the U.S. TV series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Matthew Perry.-Personal history:Matt began working at Studio 60 in 1997, but remained largely anonymous until 1999, when Harriet Hayes joined the cast...
(Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry (actor)
Matthew Langford Perry is a Canadian-American actor and comedian, best known for his Emmy-nominated role as Chandler Bing on the popular, long-running NBC television sitcom Friends...
) is a former head writer for Studio 60 who in the show's pilot episode, is asked to return when executive producer Wes Mendell is fired. With Danny, Matt has gone from strength to strength, with the pair going onto films and Matt even winning a Writer's Guild
Writers Guild of America
The Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions:* The Writers Guild of America, East , representing TV and film writers East of the Mississippi....
Award on the night featured in the pilot. It is because of his loyalty to his friend and his history with Studio 60 that Matt accepts the position back on the show. This also puts him in an awkward position; he has recently ended a relationship with Studio 60 star Harriet Hayes, for whom he still holds strong personal feelings. He is Jewish (although he appears to be an atheist) and has liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
political leanings. In "The West Coast Delay", it is revealed that he was forced out of the show originally for supporting talk show host Bill Maher
Bill Maher
William "Bill" Maher, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called Politically Incorrect originally on Comedy Central and...
in the light of comments that Maher made following the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Jordan McDeere
Jordan McDeere
Jordan McDeere is a fictional character on the United States television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Amanda Peet.-Personal history:Jordan is the president of the National Broadcasting System, a great achievement for a woman of her age...
(Amanda Peet
Amanda Peet
Amanda Peet is an American actress, who has appeared on film, stage, and television. After studying with Uta Hagen at Columbia University, Peet began her career in television commercials, and progressed to small roles on television, before making her film debut in 1995...
) is the recently promoted President for Entertainment Programming for the network NBS (National Broadcasting System) of which Studio 60 is the flagship show. She is described in the pilot script as an "instantly likeable 30-something" and "someone who every man's wife can find an irrational reason to hate". While Jordan's previous credentials are impressive, she knows that confidence in her is not very high (on the pilot, she mentions that on the day of the announcement of her hiring, the share price of NBS's parent company instantly took a 3/8 point dip) and the pressure on her to deliver is strong, with particularly intense scrutiny coming from network chairman Jack Rudolph. In the pilot, Jordan is responsible for the hiring of Danny and Matt, knowing of the pair's abrasive history with the show (and Jack). In "The Cold Open", Jordan proposes a network policy of charging a 20% "cowardice fee" surcharge for advertisers who had acquiesced to boycotts by the Christian right
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
but came back after the boycotted show in question turned out to be successful. Jordan clearly delights in the challenge set to her and almost deliberately courts confrontation, confident in the skills of the people around her. In "The Focus Group", Jack reveals that her ex-husband is working on a tell-all book about her. At one wrap party, Danny told Jordan, "You look like one of them
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
, as she wore a sweatshirt from there in "The Long Lead Story". On October 20, 2006, Peet revealed on The Tonight Show that McDeere is loosely based on Jamie Tarses
Jamie Tarses
Jamie Tarses was head of ABC's entertainment division from 1996 to 1999, the first woman and one of the youngest people to hold such a post in an American broadcast network...
.
Harriet Hayes
Harriet Hayes
Hannah Harriet Hayes is a fictional character on the US television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Sarah Paulson. The character is loosely based on actress Kristin Chenoweth ;; there is an opinion that she is also at least partially based on former Saturday...
(Sarah Paulson
Sarah Paulson
-Career:She was a series regular on the cult television show American Gothic and the WB series Jack & Jill , playing the character "Elisa Cronkite"...
) is a "multi-talented" performer and one of the "Big Three" main stars of Studio 60. As she describes to journalist Martha O'Dell in "The Long Lead Story", Harriet was born in Brighton, Michigan
Brighton, Michigan
Brighton is a principal satellite city of Metro Detroit located in the southeast portion of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,444. Brighton forms part of the South Lyon-Howell-Brighton Urban Area...
— and uses her middle name because a Hannah Hayes was already registered in the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
. She is an evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
and has recorded a successful album of spiritual music. In the pilot, the recent ending of her romantic relationship with Matt Albie is suggested to have been caused by her appearance on The 700 Club
The 700 Club
The 700 Club is the flagship news talk show of the Christian Broadcasting Network, airing in syndication throughout the United States and Canada. In production since 1966, it is currently hosted by Pat Robertson, Terry Meeuwsen, Kristi Watts, and Gordon P. Robertson, two of whom will host on any...
, where she promoted her album. In the pilot, Harriet stood by the controversial "Crazy Christians" sketch and its contents, demonstrating fierce loyalty to the show. She tells Tom that rather than being offended by "Crazy Christians", she was more upset about not being in the sketch. However, later in her confrontation with Matt she confessed to also being upset about the sketch. She received her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
. Harriet's character is based on West Wing alumna Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
, whom Sorkin once dated.
Tom Jeter
Tom Jeter
Tom Jeter is a fictional character on the American television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Nate Corddry.-Personal history:...
(Nate Corddry
Nate Corddry
Nathan "Nate" Corddry is an American actor best known for his television roles on programs such as Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Daily Show, United States of Tara and Harry's Law. He played Private First Class Loudmouth in the HBO miniseries The Pacific...
) is another of the show's "Big Three". While his comedic skills and gifts for character parody are acknowledged, he is self-critical and often looks on the Internet at critics' appraisals. According to the pilot script, "when he's not crafting a joke in his head, he's not sure what he's supposed to be doing". In "The Wrap Party", Tom's parents drive from Ohio to visit him, and demonstrate their lack of understanding of his work. In the same episode, Tom mentions that he sent body armor to his younger brother Mark's unit in Afghanistan. In the "Nevada Day" episodes, we find out that Tom's younger brother is in fact a part of an elite group of armed forces that construct buildings incredibly fast, such as "a hospital in three days" (quote taken from the episodes).
Simon Stiles
Simon Stiles
Simon Stiles is a fictional character on the U.S. television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by D.L. Hughley.-Personal history:One of the "Big Three" cast members of Studio 60, Simon Stiles joined the show in 2001...
(D. L. Hughley
D. L. Hughley
Darryl Lynn "D. L." Hughley is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is perhaps best known as the star of the ABC/UPN sitcom The Hughleys, and as one of the four comedians featured in the Spike Lee film The Original Kings of Comedy. Additionally, he has been the host of CNN's D. L...
) is the final member of the "Big Three". After attending the Yale School of Drama
Yale School of Drama
The Yale School of Drama is a graduate professional school of Yale University providing training in every discipline of the theatre: acting, design , directing, dramaturgy and dramatic criticism, playwriting, stage management, sound design, technical design and production, and theater...
, and frustrated about parts lost to other prominent black performers (Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
, Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
and Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
are named as examples), Simon was recruited to the cast of Studio 60. He feels limited by his skills as a comedic performer, unable to do "voices". However, it is seen by his subsequent place in the "Big Three", the enthusiastic response of the audience to his warm-up to the show, and the respect shown to him by Danny in the initial episodes that Simon has rightfully earned his place in the Studio 60 cast. He may be based on black SNL player with a long tenure but a low comedic ceiling, Tim Meadows. Tom and Simon are united by their "mutual respect, their dedication to their show and nothing else." As he told Matt in "The Wrap Party", Simon grew up in South Central Los Angeles and risked death or imprisonment as a teenager.
Jack Rudolph (Steven Weber
Steven Weber (actor)
Steven Robert Weber is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the television show Wings which aired throughout the 1990s on NBC.-Early life:...
) is the chairman of the network NBS and Jordan's boss. Jack has a history of controversy with Matt and Danny, having caused the pair to quit Studio 60 four years earlier (in the wake of 9/11), when he ordered the two to apologize for a Karl Rove
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
sketch he had expressly approved following pressure from conservative Christian groups. While his frustrations at the re-hiring of Matt and Danny are evident, his main focus of administrative swagger is over Jordan, upon whom he places enormous pressure to succeed. In the pilot, he says, "I'm not like the other heterosexual males in the show business, Jordan. I don't find you charming." Jack has a quick and intense temper which he frequently brandishes, but is also a man of conviction, coming to Jordan's defense in a period of personal turmoil and vehemently defending the independence of the nightly news. Jack reports to Wilson White, Chairman of TMG, NBS's parent company.
Cal Shanley
Cal Shanley
Calvin Shanley is a fictional character on the US television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Timothy Busfield.-Personal History:...
(Timothy Busfield
Timothy Busfield
Timothy "Timmy B" Busfield is an American actor and director best known for his role as Eliot Weston on the television series Thirtysomething and his recurring role as Danny Concannon on the television series The West Wing...
) is the technical director
Technical director
The Technical Director or Technical Manager is usually a senior technical person within a software company, film studio, theatrical company or television studio...
of Studio 60. He has two children he is putting through private school. In the pilot, he allows Wes to rant unscripted for 53 seconds on live television, despite threats from network Standards and Practices executive Jerry; Danny so highly approved that he told Cal he would have earned a raise had he let Wes rant for 54 seconds. Cal is thoroughly upbeat with an equally fast-and-fluid sense of humor. (Busfield had a recurring guest role on The West Wing and also directed six episodes of Studio 60.)
Supporting roles
Ricky TahoeRicky Tahoe
Ricky Tahoe is a fictional character on the US TV series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Evan Handler.-Personal history:Ricky came to Studio 60 in the late 90's with his writing partner Ron Oswald. Ricky's relationship with Matt Albie can be described as brittle. Matt has referred to the...
(Evan Handler
Evan Handler
Evan Handler is an American actor who is best known for playing Harry Goldenblatt, Charlotte's divorce attorney and later husband, on Sex and the City, and Charlie Runkle, Hank's comically bumbling friend and agent, on Californication.-Early life:Handler was born in New York City, the son of Enid...
) and Ron Oswald
Ron Oswald
Ron Oswald is a fictional character on the US TV series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Carlos Jacott.-Personal history:Ron came to Studio 60 in the late 90's with his writing partner Ricky Tahoe. The duo have written many sketches together and have worked with each other all their careers...
(Carlos Jacott
Carlos Jacott
Carlos Jacott is an American film and television actor. He has appeared in over 40 television shows including Firefly and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and playing a demon on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel....
) are writers and, as part of their $30,000-an-episode contracts, current co-executive producers of Studio 60. They stepped into the creative void left by Danny and Matt when the pair were fired and in the pilot are portrayed as poor writers, "hacks" and command little professional respect from the stars of the show. Matt refers to them as "Beavis and Hackboy". It is revealed that Matt harbors a grudge against them because when he came out in support of Bill Maher
Bill Maher
William "Bill" Maher, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called Politically Incorrect originally on Comedy Central and...
after he made a controversial on-air remark, Ricky released a statement hanging Matt out to dry. They may have won an Emmy for writing in the past (Matt mentions this in the context of a disparagement of which other parts were made up). In "The Option Period", Ricky and Ron leave the show to pursue a spin-off pilot on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
of "Peripheral Vision Man", a Studio 60 sketch.
Wes Mendell
Wes Mendell
Wes Mendell is a fictional character on the US television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Judd Hirsch.-Personal history:...
(Judd Hirsch
Judd Hirsch
Judd Hirsch is an American actor most known for playing Alex Rieger on the television comedy series Taxi, John Lacey on the NBC series Dear John, and Alan Eppes on the CBS series Numb3rs.-Early life and education:...
) is the former executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
and creator of Studio 60. His power is dwindling and he is furious with the network for bowing down to the FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
and religious groups. In the events of the pilot, he is the catalyst that brings Matt and Danny back to the show, fired on the night for the hijacking of the live broadcast of Studio 60 and ranting an improvised tirade, similar to that in the film Network
Network (film)
Network is a 1976 American satirical film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer about a fictional television network, Union Broadcasting System , and its struggle with poor ratings. The film was written by Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Sidney Lumet...
(which is commented on in the pilot itself), venting against bureaucratic control, the influence of minority groups in the censorship of the network, and the nature of the broadcast
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
industry. It is stated that he has worked with many of the great comedy writers and performers, such as Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
. He is referenced in various episodes, but appears only in the pilot.
Wilson White (Edward Asner) is the Chairman of Tunney Media Group, the parent company of the National Broadcasting System. This may be a (thinly) veiled reference to Jack Welch
Jack Welch
John Francis "Jack" Welch, Jr. is an American chemical engineer, business executive, and author. He was Chairman and CEO of General Electric between 1981 and 2001...
, the former head of General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, the parent company of NBC (Via NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
), the network carrying the actual show. His interest in Studio 60 is usually minor, although at times uses it for business ventures, such as in "Nevada Day" when in order to secure a deal he arranges for Tom Jeter
Tom Jeter
Tom Jeter is a fictional character on the American television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Nate Corddry.-Personal history:...
of Studio 60 to entertain Kim Tao, the daughter of a potential business client.
Jerry Jones (Michael Stuhlbarg
Michael Stuhlbarg
Michael S. Stuhlbarg is an American theatre, film and television actor.-Life and career:Stuhlbarg was born in Long Beach, California and raised in Reform Judaism. He trained at Juilliard School and also studied acting at the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, University of London and UCLA...
) works for NBS as network censor. He is in charge of Standards and Practices and responsible for cutting a controversial sketch in "Pilot". The cut results in a furious on-air rant from Wes. Jerry later appears during flashbacks in "K&R Part II" asking Matt and Danny to cut a sketch about Karl Rove
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
in the show following the beginning of the war in Afghanistan.
Jeannie Whatley (Ayda Field
Ayda Field
Ayda Field is an American television actress. Field was born in Los Angeles, California, to a Turkish father and American mother.-Early life:...
) is a cast member who sleeps with Matt from time to time. This revelation leads Harriet to blow up at Matt in front of the show's writing team. She is considered a gossip on set; in "The Option Period", she leaked the news that Harriet was considering posing for a lingerie spread in a men's magazine, and Matt quipped that he didn't think there was such thing as the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, there was only "Jeannie telling people stuff".
Alex Dwyer (Simon Helberg
Simon Helberg
Simon Maxwell Helberg is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Howard Wolowitz in the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. In its fourth season, he also appeared on the sketch comedy series MADtv for five episodes...
) is one of the cast members of Studio 60. He is not a member of the "Big Three", but is recognized as the complement to Harriet Hayes
Harriet Hayes
Hannah Harriet Hayes is a fictional character on the US television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Sarah Paulson. The character is loosely based on actress Kristin Chenoweth ;; there is an opinion that she is also at least partially based on former Saturday...
, being the lead male impressionist
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...
in the cast. He has at least one recurring sketch, The Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
Show, in which he plays the title character, and has also portrayed Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
and Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
on the show.
Dylan Killington (Nate Torrence
Nate Torrence
Nathan Andrew "Nate" Torrence is an American comedic actor known for his numerous roles in television advertisements.- Childhood and education:...
) is one of the cast members of Studio 60. He is a rookie on the show and doesn't appear to have garnered much respect yet from the likes of the Big Three. In "Nevada Day 2", Matt picks Dylan to perform in the "News 60" sketch in case Simon doesn't return from Nevada in time for the show; Dylan is very insecure and self-conscious about his appearance in such a high-profile role until Matt goads Jeannie into flattering and flirting with Dylan to boost his confidence.
Samantha Li (Camille Chen
Camille Chen
Camille Chen is a Taiwanese American actress. She was born in Taiwan and raised in the U.S. She began her career in show business, doing voiceover work for the English version of anime TV series such as Lost Universe and Devil Lady.-Filmography:*Spilled *The Ringer *Heavenly Beauties as Asian...
) is one of the cast members of Studio 60. Her most notable sketch is "Samantha Li's Thai Therapy".
Lucy Kenwright
Lucy Kenwright
Lucy Kenwright is a fictional character on the US television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Lucy Davis.-Personal history:...
(Lucy Davis
Lucy Davis
Lucy Clare Davis is an English actress. She is best known for playing the character Dawn Tinsley in the BBC comedy The Office and as Dianne in the horror-comedy movie Shaun of the Dead.-Career:...
) is an English junior writer on the show and the only pre-Matt and Danny writer to remain after Ricky and Ron's departure. She then begins a romantic relationship with Tom Jeter.
Marylyn Rudolph (Kirstin Pierce) is the wife of Jack Rudolph (Steven Weber
Steven Weber (actor)
Steven Robert Weber is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the television show Wings which aired throughout the 1990s on NBC.-Early life:...
). At some point during the run of the series, they separate.
Darren Wells (Teddy Sears
Teddy Sears
Edward M. "Teddy" Sears is an American television actor, best known for his roles on One Life to Live and the TNT series Raising the Bar.- Early life :...
) is a professional baseball player, the pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. He started dating Harriet after she sang the National Anthem at a Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
game. In "The Wrap Party", Harriet found out that Darren also wrote his phone number on a baseball given to Jordan, which apparently ended the relationship.
Martha O'Dell (Christine Lahti
Christine Lahti
Christine Lahti is an American actress and film director. Lahti has had a successful career in television and film. Throughout her career she has garnered 2 Golden Globe Awards from 8 Nominations, An Emmy Award from 6 Nominations and 2 Academy Award nominations...
) is a journalist writing a "long lead story" about Matt and Danny's return to Studio 60 for Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
.
Kevin Yu (Kelvin Yu) is Jordan's assistant.
Wendy (Cyia Batten
Cyia Batten
Cyia Batten is an American dancer, model and film/television actress as well as former Pussycat Dolls dance troupe. She has worked as a professional dancer all over the world for various projects including The Pussycat Dolls and Carmen Electra, Teatro Comunale di Firenze and others.She has had...
) is a member of the "Bombshell Babies" (a dance group similar to The Pussycat Dolls) and Matt's former girlfriend. In "The West Coast Delay" she talks Matt out of a plan to have her sign a stiletto boot in an attempt to get back at Harriet, who had given Matt a baseball bat with Darren Wells's phone number written on it. She reappears a few episodes later at the end of a dinner honoring Harriet and helps Matt back to the theater, where she reveals that she is newly engaged.
Shelley Green (Wendy Phillips
Wendy Phillips
Wendy Phillips is an American actress, noted for playing David Selby's last wife, Lauren Daniels, during the final season of Falcon Crest and for playing Gerald McRaney's wife, Claire Greene, on both Touched by an Angel and Promised Land...
) is an employee of the network who works closely with Jack Rudolph.
Darius Hawthorne (Columbus Short
Columbus Short
Columbus Keith Short, Jr. is an American choreographer, actor, and singer. He choreographed Britney Spears's Onyx Hotel Tour and worked with Brian Friedman...
) is a junior writer who is hired by Matt Albie and Simon Stiles after seeing his stand-up act in "The Wrap Party".
Luke Scott (Josh Stamberg
Josh Stamberg
Joshua Collins "Josh" Stamberg is an American actor.Stamberg was born in Washington, D.C., the son of journalist Susan Stamberg and Louis C. Stamberg, a retired State Department employee...
) used to be a writer on the show and is Matt's main rival for Harriet. He is currently directing a movie about The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
and he cast Harriet to play Anita Pallenberg
Anita Pallenberg
Anita Pallenberg is an Italian-born actress, model, and fashion designer. She was the romantic partner of Rolling Stones multi-instrumentalist and guitarist Brian Jones and later the partner of the guitarist of the same band Keith Richards, from 1967 to 1979, by whom she has two surviving...
.
Lilly Rodriguez (Diana-Maria Riva
Diana-Maria Riva
Diana-Maria Riva is an American actress.-Early life:Riva was born Diana-Maria Uhlenbrock in Cincinnati, Ohio, the daughter of Maria and Christopher Uhlenbrock, a dentist.-Career:...
) is the assistant director of the show.
Andy Mackinaw (Mark McKinney
Mark McKinney
Mark Douglas Brown McKinney is a Canadian comedian and actor, best known for his work in the sketch comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall. Following the run of their television series and feature film , he went on to star in Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 1997...
) was introduced in "B-12" after Ricky and Ron's departure (from the prior episode: "The Option Period") when Matt needed an extra writer's help. Andy was previously a writer on Studio 60 years before, while Matt and Danny were still there. After Matt and Danny's initial departure from the show, Andy's wife and daughter died in tragic circumstances. It is revealed in a flashback scene in "K & R, Part I" that Matt never saw Andy smile until he walked into the writer's room in 2001 and announced his daughter's birth.
Suzanne (Merritt Wever
Merritt Wever
-Early life:She graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, and then Sarah Lawrence College. She trained in acting in New York and has appeared in Brooke Berman's play, Smashing and in Cavedweller with Deidre O'Connell, both Off Broadway.-Career:...
) used to be a PA on the show before becoming Matt's assistant. She is the first to confront Matt about his drug use in the episode "Breaking News", revealing that her mother took 20-30 Percocet
Percocet
The combination oxycodone/paracetamol is a narcotic pain reliever used to treat moderate to severe acute pain, marketed by Endo Pharmaceuticals.-History:The U.S...
s a day before killing herself when Suzanne was 10.
Hallie Galloway (Stephanie Childers) is the Vice President of Alternative Programming (a.k.a. Illiterate Programming, Reality TV) for NBS and has developed an adversarial relationship with Jordan. She first appears in the episode "Monday". Jordan has expressed her fear that Galloway is being groomed to take her place after the rocky start to McDeere's tenure as president of the network.
Mary Tate (Kari Matchett
Kari Matchett
Kari Matchett is a Canadian television and film actress. She played Mariel Underlay in Invasion, Lisa Miller in 24, and Kate Filmore in the cult favorite science fiction movie Cube 2: Hypercube. She currently appears in the USA television series Covert Affairs.-Early years:Matchett was born in...
) is a lawyer from Gage Whitney Pace who is investigating a sexual harassment
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
suit by Karen Salzburg, a writer who was fired from the show. She has an obvious sexual and romantic interest in Matt.
Herb Sheldon (John F. Carpenter) is the announcer for the show.
Zhang Tao (Raymond Ma) is a Chinese businessman who is behind a multi-million-dollar merger with NBS to turn the city of Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
into "the Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
of East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
." Zhang becomes a key player when the board of NBS attempts to remove Wilson White as chairman and CEO.
Kim Tao (Julia Ling
Julia Ling
Julia Ling, born Xiao Wei Lin , is an American actress most widely known for her television work, including her recurring roles on NBC series such as ER, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and most recently, as a series regular on Chuck.-Biography:Ling was born in Temple City, California.At age 6,...
) is the daughter of Zhang Tao and a viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
prodigy. She is infatuated with Tom Jeter.
Maisie (Michael Hyatt
Michael Hyatt
Michael Hyatt is a British-born film and television actress. Before Hyatt's work in film and television, she enjoyed memorable performances on stages throughout the country, particularly in Ragtime on Broadway.-Early life:...
) was Matt's assistant before she left the show with Ricky and Ron.
Blair (Donna Murphy
Donna Murphy
Donna Murphy is an American stage, film, television actress and singer.Murphy has won two Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical for her roles in Passion as Fosca and in The King and I as Anna Leonowens...
) was Danny Tripp's personal assistant before he got hired at Studio 60. She appears only in the "Pilot" episode.
Tim Batale was a person who Matt Albie remembered working at Studio 60 when he was originally a staff writer. Tim, in reality, is a false memory of Matt's, created by his subconscious, to serve as another iteration of his own persona. Tim gets fired for being high, and tries to "write his way back onto the show" by having Joe put his sketch in the pile for Wes to read. Matt always remembers him "wearing a blue button-down shirt and khaki pants. Tim is present in the episode "The Friday Night Slaughter" and it is revealed at the end that it was in fact Matt who dressed in a blue button-down shirt and khakis. Tim Batale is an anagram of Matt Albie.