CBS has released the first full trailer of “Clarice,” the highly-anticipated sequel to “The Silence of the Lambs.” Starring Rebecca Breeds, along with Kal Penn, Nick Sandow, Michael Cudlitz, Lucca De Oliveira and Devyn A. Tyler, the show premieres on Thursday, Feb. 11 at 10 p.m. The series is being executive produced by Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet and takes a deep dive into the untold personal story of FBI Agent Clarice Starling (Breeds) as she returns to the field in 1993, six months after the events of “The Silence of the Lambs.”
Deadline reported in May 2019 that Penn became available after NBC/Universal Television released the cast of “Sunnyside,” which is currently playing on Hulu. Penn co-created, executive produced and starred in the freshman comedy series which was pulled from NBC’s Thursday night schedule in October 2019. “The producers of ‘Clarice’ reached out to him, leading to discussions about the project and ultimately a deal for him to join it,” Deadline reported.
“Like most people, I’m a huge ‘Silence of the Lambs’ fan, so having the opportunity to join Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman on this project is very exciting,” Penn told Deadline. “All of our conversations about ‘Clarice’ thus far are so grounded in art and storytelling. It’s suspense, it’s a thriller, and it’s thoughtful.”
Next week, Penn, who co-chaired the Biden campaign’s National Arts Policy Committee, will be moderating a fundraiser hosted by Biden’s Presidential Inaugural Committee.
Penn plays Emin Grigoryan, an agent with a Ph.D. in library science. The Deadline report describes Emin as “the conduit between the Fly Team and ViCAP’s growing database, as opposed to Clarice’s unique knowledge of Behavioral Sciences. A former curator for the Smithsonian, FBI is, for him, a second career. With expertise in all things archival — from insects, to ancient manuscripts, to missing children.”
Next week, Penn, who co-chaired the Biden campaign’s National Arts Policy Committee, will be moderating a fundraiser hosted by Biden’s Presidential Inaugural Committee on Jan. 15. Joining Penn for the fundraiser, “Conversations with Actors from The West Wing, Scandal, and Designated Survivor,” are Bellamy Young of “Scandal” and Bradley Whitford, Richard Schiff, Dulé Hill and Janel Moloney of “The West Wing.”
Penn served in the Obama administration on the President’s Committee for the Arts and Humanities, focusing on arts education and cultural diplomacy.He was the national co-chair for President Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012. He has taught courses at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Los Angeles. He is known for his starring roles in “Designated Survivor,” “House,” “How I Met Your Mother,” Mira Nair’s “The Namesake,” and the “Harold & Kumar” franchise.Originally from New Jersey, he received his undergraduate degree in sociology, theater, film, and television at the University of California, Los Angeles, and received a graduate certificate in international security from Stanford University.