Jim Belushi Returns to Series Television in CBS Drama Pilot
Actor Jim Belushi is making his return to network series television by starring in a CBS drama pilot, entitled Defenders.
According to an article on HollywoodReporter.com, “The project, from CBS Studios, centers on two charismatic and fiery Las Vegas defense attorneys who go to the mat for their clients. Belushi will play one of them, Nick Mancini, who has marital troubles and loves to drink his sorrows away.”
Belushi last toplined the successful ABC family sitcom, According to Jim, which also co-starred Melrose Place alumna Courtney Thorne-Smith, who played Belushi’s wife.
Yet, Defenders is not Belushi’s first foray into the dramatic television series sphere. He starred in the 1997 ABC series, Total Security, which was created by acclaimed television series scribe Steven Bochco, along with Charles H. Eglee and David Milch.
The HollywoodReporter.com article goes on to say, “Niels Mueller and Kevin Kennedy wrote the script for Defenders and are executive producing with Joe and Harry Gantz, CSI maven Carol Mendelsohn and the pilot's director Davis Guggenheim.”
Belushi’s other credits include lending his voice to be used in several episodes of the Emmy Award winning animated series, Pinky and the Brain, he starred in the 1996 family comedy, Jingle All the Way, opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Rita Wilson and the late Phil Hartman and he starred in the 2007 family comedy, Underdog, opposite My Name is Earl topliner Jason Lee and Seinfeld alum Patrick Warburton.
