Worlds are colliding in two fan-favorite onscreen political dramas!
On Jan. 30, Netflix announced Bradley Whitford — best known by West Wing fans as Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman — will be joining the cast of The Diplomat season 3. The role reunites him with his former West Wing costar, Allison Janney, who played Press Secretary C.J. Cregg.
Whitford, 65 is slated to play a character named Todd Penn in the upcoming season. Todd is the husband of Grace Penn (Janney, 65), a woman positioned to become president of the United States based on the shocking events of the season 2 finale.
“Brad was the fantasy version of Todd — for all of us. We still can’t believe it came true,” said series creator Debora Cahn while speaking to Tudum about casting Whitford. Executive producer Janice Williams, “Bradley was the perfect addition to what is already a dream cast.”
Netflix also released three first-look photos, one of which features Janney and Whitford looking concerned on a couch while holding drinks.
Another photo shows the couple with Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) and husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) navigating what appears to be a less-than-pleasant happy hour.
Grace and Kate finished out season 2 on shaky ground, with Kate discovering that Grace was behind a massive illegal plot to shape international policy. Where the two stand for season 3 — and what a potential Penn presidency means for Kate and Hal — remains unclear.
It is also unclear how big a role Grace’s husband will play in a new presidential administration — though viewers do know that his character was embroiled in some kind of past financial scandal which had implications for Grace’s career.
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The Diplomat premiered in 2023 and follows the political trajectory of a woman (Russell) as she navigates her new role as ambassador to the U.K. along with her “turbulent marriage to a political star,” per the show’s official synopsis.
There is no official premiere date for season 3, though filming is tentatively scheduled to wrap on March 20, and the season is slated for release later in the year, per Netflix.
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