Blythe Danner joins the cast of 'The Slap'

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Blythe Danner has joined the cast of the eight-part event series The Slap, NBC announced.

Danner, who is the real-life mother of actress Gwyneth Paltrow, is known for her roles in the films Meet the Parents, The Prince of Tides, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Alice and The Great Santini, as well as in TV's Huff and Will & Grace.

The Slap was written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Jon Robin Baitz, executive produced by the team of Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald, and directed by Lisa Cholodenko.

It will air Thursdays at 8 p.m. beginning Feb. 12. The series stars Peter Sarsgaard, Uma Thurman, Thandie Newton and Zachary Quinto.

"Meet Hector: a public servant, husband, father and valued friend on the cusp of his 40th. Meet Aisha: Hector's beautiful and intelligent wife who is planning his birthday party filled with friends and his very boisterous Greek family. Sounds like the makings of a great day, right? Wrong. As Hector tries to navigate family politics, awkward friendships and the young woman he is dangerously captivated by, the built-up tension explodes when Hector's hotheaded cousin slaps another couple's misbehaving child," a synopsis said. "Everyone is understandably stunned, and the party abruptly ends with the child's parents vowing legal action. But what the hosts and guests don't know is that this moment will ignite a chain of events that will uncover long-buried secrets within this group of friends and family... and vigorously challenge the core values of everyone involved."

We are thrilled to welcome Blythe Danner to the cast of #TheSlap! http://t.co/plMnaQtOom

— The Slap (@NBCTheSlap) January 29, 2015