Connick Jr. set to star in Lifetime movie

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 28 (UPI) -- Harry Connick, Jr. will soon be seen in "Living Proof," a TV movie about an L.A. doctor's work developing the breast cancer drug Herceptin, Lifetime said.

Connick Jr. is an Emmy Award-winning actor and Grammy Award-winning singer who has appeared in the films "Hope Floats" and "Memphis Belle," as well as in the TV series "Will & Grace" and the Broadway musical "The Pajama Game."

The Lifetime Original Movie, "Living Proof," is based on the true story of Dr. Dennis Slamon and his efforts to keep the drug trials for Herceptin afloat and save the lives of thousands of women.

In the film, Connick plays Slamon, an "overworked and under-appreciated" research doctor at UCLA Medical Center, Lifetime said.

"Having developed an experimental, yet potentially revolutionary drug called Herceptin, Slamon believes he will one day offer a ground-breaking treatment for breast cancer," the network said in a press release. "When the plug is pulled on his research by the drug company, he must rely on the support of philanthropists including Lilly Tartikoff and Ronald Perelman to continue his work testing the drug."

Filmed in Connick's hometown of New Orleans, the movie is to premiere Oct. 18 on Lifetime Television.