There’s another White House shake-up on ABC’s Designated Survivor.
Zoe McLellan has joined the Kiefer Sutherland drama as a series regular for season two, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The NCIS: New Orleans grad will play Kendra Daynes, a brilliant and wily attorney who lands her dream job as White House counsel. On her personal and professional journey, she develops close relationships with the White House staff while wrestling legal issues that find their way to her desk because she advises the most powerful man in the world.
McLellan is one of several new additions set for season two, which also include Royal Pains star Paulo Costanzo and Ben Lawson (The Deep End). Additionally, recurring season-one guest Virginia Madsen revealed in June that she would not be returning. Other shows undergoing major cast shake-ups include ABC’s Quantico, which will return for an abbreviated third season, and NBC’s Taken adaptation.
Behind the scenes, season two of Designated Survivor sees Keith Eisner (The Good Wife) taking over as showrunner. The ABC Studios and Mark Gordon Co.-produced series, which takes place in the aftermath of an explosion that kills nearly all of Congress as well as the president and vice president, went through three showrunners in its first season.
Designated Survivor has proved a solid performer on Wednesdays for ABC, where it will return this fall.
The role brings McLellan back to ABC, where she starred on Dirty Sexy Money. She most recently starred on two seasons of NCIS: New Orleans. McLellan is repped by Domain Talent and Abrams Entertainment.
