The untitled project, which is based on 1984 memoir 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind', will see the pop superstar-turned-actor taking on the role of 'The Gong Show' host.
- Apr 10, 2021
AceShowbiz - Justin Timberlake is set to portray U.S. game show host and alleged CIA assassin Chuck Barris in a new Apple TV+ series.
The pop superstar-turned-actor will take on the lead role in the as-yet-untitled series, based on Barris' wild 1984 memoir, "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind", in which he claimed to have become a TV personality, hosting "The Gong Show" and creating popular series like "The Dating Game" and "The Newlywed Game", as an elaborate cover for his real job as an undercover agent in the 1960s and '70s.
CIA officials denied ever working with Barris, but the autobiography previously inspired the 2002 film of the same name, directed by George Clooney and starring Sam Rockwell. Barris himself said in a 194 interview on NBC's "Today" show, "No, I was never a CIA hitman."
"I never did those things. I once applied for the CIA, and while I was going through the process I got a job and went on television," the TV host who died in 2017 at the age of 87 added. "But I had always wondered what would have happened if I had done both."
Now Timberlake will be exploring the secret life of Barris for a new hour-long drama series, with the pilot penned by showrunner Jon Worley, according to Deadline. Worley will be sharing the showrunner position with "Ray Donovan" executive producer David Hollander.
The project was recently picked up at auction by Apple bosses, who previously worked with Timberlake on the recent Fisher Stevens drama "Palmer". It will be co-produced by Miramax and Paramount Television Studios.
