It appears that we’re not even going to wait until the Donald Trump dust settles before we get our first based on a true story project about his work in the White House. But hey, if we have to watch a four-hour miniseries about Trump and his corrupt reign, then at least it’s going to star a pretty damn great actor in the lead.
According to Deadline, Golden Globe-nominated and Emmy-winning actor Brendan Gleeson has signed on to star as Trump in the upcoming CBS miniseries “A Higher Loyalty,” based on the recent book “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership.” Gleeson will star opposite Jeff Daniels, who is set to play James Comey.
The story follows the recent news story of the rise and fall of James Comey, as the head of the FBI, who was subsequently fired when the President felt that Comey didn’t give the unquestioned loyalty that was demanded of him. Since his dismissal, Comey has become a critic of the Trump, voicing his concerns over how the President runs the country and the methods he uses.
“A Higher Loyalty” is written and directed by Billy Ray. The filmmaker will be making his directorial debut with the miniseries. Previously, he wrote films such as “Captain Phillips,” “Overlord,” “Gemini Man,” “Terminator: Dark Fate,” and the upcoming Clint Eastwood film, “Richard Jewell.”
“It’s hard to imagine a bigger acting challenge than playing Donald Trump,” Ray said. “You have to have presence, and a singular kind of dynamism. You also have to have the courage and the will to play Trump’s psychology from the inside out. Oh, and you have to be spectacularly talented and watchable. Not many actors check all those boxes. Brendan does. I’m ecstatic about this.”
Gleeson is probably best known for his work in films such as “Into the Storm,” “In Bruges,” “Calvary,” and the recently released “Frankie.” He’s also the star of the Stephen King series “Mr. Mercedes.”
CBS has yet to determine if “A Higher Loyalty” will debut on network TV or if it’ll be another CBS All Access exclusive. A release date has yet to be announced.