‘Survival Of The Thickest’: Tone Bell To Star, Tasha Smith To Recur & Linda Mendoza To Direct Michelle Buteau’s Netflix Comedy Series
EXCLUSIVE: Netflix’s Michelle Buteau comedy series Survival of the Thickest is adding to its team.
Tone Bell, who starred in Netflix’s multi-cam comedy Disjointed, is to star alongside Buteau in the series with Tasha Smith, who starred in Tyler Perry’s OWN series For Better or Worse and has appeared in Empire, recurring in the series.
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Linda Mendoza, who has directed episodes of Never Have I Ever, 30 Rock and Girs5Eva, will direct the first two episodes of the series.
The series stars Buteau as Mavis Beaumont, Black, plus-size and newly single, but not by her choice. Mavis unexpectedly finds herself having to rebuild her life as a struggling stylist. She’s determined to not only survive but thrive with the support of her chosen family, a body positive attitude, and a cute v-neck with some lip gloss.
Bell will play Khalil, Mavis’s bestie and first phone call since high school. He’s a creative and talented artist who has always prided himself on making life choices that keep things simple, affordable – nothing wrong with clipping coupons – and uncomplicated. But now in his very late 30s, he starts to question what really matters and if life is worth complicating for the right person.
Smith will play Marley, an early 50’s self-made millionaire. She’s a woman of NYC status who always has a fresh luxury manicure and the best day and night serums money can buy. She gives that Aries tell-it-like-it-is energy, but there’s still an ever present warm big sister vibe. She just wants the best for everybody, and she knows what the best is.
Survival of the Thickest, which is based on Buteau’s book, was created by Buteau and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel. The latter will serve as showrunner. It comes from A24 with Anne Hong from Mosaic also exec producing.
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