Actor Lizzy Caplan will play a starring role in the limited-series adaptation of Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s 2019 novel, Fleishman Is in Trouble, Deadline reports. The series is being produced for the content hub FX on Hulu.
Brodesser-Akner’s National Book Award–longlisted novel follows the titular New York doctor in the midst of a difficult divorce, who plunges into the world of dating apps. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus described the book as “firing on all circuits, from psychological insight to cultural acuity to narrative strategy to very smart humor. Quite a debut!” Caplan will reportedly play Libby, a journalist and old friend of Fleishman’s.
Caplan is known for her work in TV series like Freaks and Geeks and Party Down, and films including Cloverfield and Extinction.
The series will be written and executive produced by Brodesser-Akner. Other executive producers include Carl Beverly (Masters of Sex, Elementary), Susannah Grant (Party of Five), and Sarah Timberman (Justified).
Brodesser-Akner linked to the casting news on Twitter, writing, “Get u an upgrade for who plays you in the TV version of your life. Not that Libby was based on me!”
“This was a hard secret to keep,” she added. “So I told anyone who asked.”
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
