‘Thirtysomething(else): Auden Thornton To Star In ABC’s ‘Thirtysomething’ Sequel Pilot

Nellie Andreeva
·2 min read

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EXCLUSIVE: The ABC pilot thirtysomething(else) has assembled the new generation of thirtysomethings. Auden Thornton (This Is Us) has been cast as a lead opposite Odette Annable, Chris Wood and Patrick Fugit in the sequel to Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick’s beloved 1987-91 drama series.

Thornton will play Brittany Weston, the daughter of Elliot Weston (Timothy Busfield) and Nancy Weston (Patty Wettig). Fugit plays her brother, Ethan Weston; Annable and Wood play grown-up versions of the other two children from the original series, Janey and Leo, the offspring of Michael Steadman (Ken Olin) and Hope Murdoch (Mel Harris).

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Written by Herskovitz and Zwick and to be directed by Zwick, thirtysomething(else) will follow an ensemble of new faces playing the grown-up children of the original cast. They are being joined by returning original cast members Olin, Harris, Busfield and Wettig, who are reprising their characters in supporting roles.

Thornton’s Brittany Weston is smart and passionate with a quiet but wicked sense of humor. Brittany is an empath — in training to be a therapist — who could use a little therapy herself. Determined to be good and inclined to be a peacemaker, she nonetheless has begun to act out in various transgressive ways. At the moment, she’s involved in an on-again/off-again relationship with Angelica — with whom she recently broke up with but can’t seem to stop loving or seeing.

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In the original series, Brittany was played by Jordana “Bink” Shapiro.

Herskovitz and Zwick executive produce for ABC Studios, part of Disney TV Studios, and MGM Television. Filming on the pilot is slated to begin in March in New Jersey.

Thornton joined the hit NBC drama series This Is Us as a recurring this season, playing Lucy, Kate and Toby’s future daughter-in-law who marries their son Jack. The series hails from ABC Studios’ sister studio 20th TV. In 2017, Thornton won the Breakout Actress Award at the LA Film Festival for Beauty Mark. She is repped by UTA, Lasher Group and Goodman Genow.

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