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Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Brendan Gleeson and Jeff Daniels have joined the cast of a new CBS Studios miniseries. CBS Studios announced Monday on Twitter that Gleeson, 64, will play President Donald Trump in the new project, with Daniels, 64, as former FBI director James Comey.
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The TV event miniseries is based on Comey's book, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership, published in April 2018. The book explores Comey's relationship with Trump and his dismissal from his FBI position in 2017.
"Multiple #Emmy Award-winner @JeffDaniels will star as former FBI Director James Comey in a new four-hour #CBSTVStudios event miniseries based on Comey's @NYTimes #1 bestselling book," CBS Studios wrote.
"#Emmy Award-winner Brendan Gleeson will join @JeffDaniels," the studio added. "He will play the role of President Donald Trump."
Captain Phillips writer Billy Ray will adapt A Higher Loyalty and direct the miniseries, with Alex Kurzman, Shane Salerno and Heather Kadin as executive producers.
"It's hard to imagine a bigger acting challenge than playing Donald Trump," Ray said in a statement. "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."
Ray also had praise for Daniels.
"Jeff is so perfect for this part. Great actor, instant integrity, loads of warmth, intelligence, complexity and gravitas," he said.
CBS executives have yet to decide on a premiere date and whether the miniseries will air on Showtime, CBS All Access or both. Production begins next month.
