STARZ ROLLS OUT RECURRING CAST FOR WATERGATE DRAMA "GASLIT"

ALLISON TOLMAN, J.C. MACKENZIE, CHRIS BAUER, HAMISH LINKLATER AND CHRIS MESSINA SET TO JOIN THE JULIA ROBERTS AND SEAN PENN LED SERIES

Santa Monica, Calif. - STARZ announced today that recurring roles have been added to the STARZ Original series "Gaslit," the untold story of Martha Mitchell's role in exposing Watergate. Emmy(R) nominee and Critics Choice award-winner Allison Tolman ("Fargo," "Why Women Kill") will join Gold Derby award-winner J.C. MacKenzie (The Trial of the Chicago 7, "October Faction"), Chris Bauer ("True Blood," "The Wire"), Hamish Linklater ("Legion," The Big Short) and SAG award-winner Chris Messina (Argo, "The Mindy Project") in the series created and executive produced by Robbie Pickering ("Mr. Robot," "Search Party," Natural Selection).

"Gaslit" is a modern take on Watergate that focuses on the untold stories and forgotten characters of the scandal - from Nixon's bumbling, opportunistic subordinates to the deranged zealots aiding and abetting their crimes, to the tragic whistleblowers who would eventually bring the whole rotten enterprise crashing down.

The story will center on Martha Mitchell, played by Julia Roberts. A big personality with an even bigger mouth, Martha is a celebrity Arkansan socialite and wife to Nixon's loyal Attorney General, John Mitchell, played by Sean Penn. Despite her party affiliation, she's the first person to publicly sound the alarm on Nixon's involvement in Watergate, causing both the Presidency and her personal life to unravel. As Attorney General, Mitchell is Nixon's most trusted advisor and best friend. Temperamental, foulmouthed and ruthless - yet hopelessly in love with his famously outspoken wife - he'll be forced to choose between Martha and the President.

"Gaslit" Recurring Cast

Allison Tolman will play "Winnie McLendon," the DC journalist who would ultimately become Martha Mitchell's biographer. An intrepid young journalist trapped in the "pink ghetto" of society stories, Winnie first sees Martha Mitchell as just another puff piece in Ladies Home Journal but ends up embroiled in the heart of the Watergate scandal.

J.C. MacKenzie will play "Howard Hunt," a former CIA agent who once collaborated with G. Gordon Liddy in Nixon's "Plumbers" unit and helps him execute the bungled Watergate break-in.

Chris Bauer will play "James McCord," a former CIA operative who serves as the head of the security team for John and Martha Mitchell. On orders from his boss, McCord becomes one of the Watergate burglars and forms an unlikely connection with Martha Mitchell, who recognizes him after he's arrested.

Hamish Linklater will play "Jeb Magruder," a high-level bureaucrat behind Watergate and John Mitchell's right-hand man. Jeb ultimately goes to jail for his involvement in the bungled burglary, but not before his testimony makes headlines.

Chris Messina will play "Agent Angelo Lano," an FBI Agent tasked with the Watergate break-in who, with his partner Paul Magallanes, finds himself stymied at every turn by leaks in his own agency.

Along with Pickering, Matt Ross (Captain Fantastic, 28 Hotel Rooms) will direct and executive produce, with Sam Esmail ("Homecoming," "Mr. Robot"), via his overall deal with UCP, and Chad Hamilton ("Mr. Robot," "Homecoming") serving as executive producers under their production banner Esmail Corp. Roberts will executive produce under her banner Red Om Films along with co-executive producers Lisa Gillan and Marisa Yeres Gill. Anonymous Content and Slate's Gabriel Roth and Josh Levin will also executive produce. Leon Neyfakh, who created the podcast, will consult on the project. "Gaslit" is produced by UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, for STARZ.

"Gaslit" will air on STARZ in the U.S. and Canada and on its international premium streaming platform Starzplay across its complete footprint in Europe, Latin America and Japan.

Executive Vice President of Original Programming Karen Bailey is the STARZ executive overseeing "Gaslit."

About STARZ

STARZ (www.starz.com), a Lionsgate company, is a leading global media streaming platform committed to delivering premium content that amplifies narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences. STARZ is home to the highly-rated and first-of-its-kind STARZ app that offers the ability to stream or download STARZ premium content, as well as the flagship domestic STARZ(R) service, including STARZ ENCORE, 17 premium pay TV channels, and the associated on-demand and online services. In 2018, STARZ launched its STARZPLAY international premium streaming platform to provide subscribers access to the "best of global SVOD." STARZPLAY, coupled with its STARZPLAY ARABIA joint venture, has expanded its global footprint into more than 55 countries throughout Europe and Latin America along with Canada, Japan, India and Indonesia. STARZ and STARZPLAY are available across digital OTT platforms and multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies around the world. In February 2021, STARZ launched #TakeTheLead, a multi-faceted and innovative inclusion initiative expanding its existing efforts to improve representation on screen, behind the camera and throughout the company.

About UNIVERSAL CONTENT PRODUCTIONS

Universal Content Productions (UCP), a division of Universal Studio Group, is a best-in-class content studio that leverages the power and scale of NBCUniversal while collaborating with visionary storytellers. The studio is responsible for commercially successful and critically acclaimed scripted and documentary programming, including "The Umbrella Academy," "Battlestar Galactica," "Mr. Robot," "The Act," "Monk," "Homecoming," "The Sinner," "Suits," "Dirty John" and "Psych." Upcoming titles include "Dr. Death" starring Joshua Jackson, Alec Baldwin and Christian Slater, and "Gaslit" starring Julia Roberts and Sean Penn.