Casting News -- March 20, 2009

Mary J. Blige will co-star with Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson in Tyler Perry's upcoming film, I Can Do Bad All By Myself. Blige will play a nightclub manager and singer who is a good friend to Henson's character. Perry's signature character Madea will also be featured in the film, which is based on Perry's play of the same title. (We can only assume that the movie's full the title will be Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself)

Michael C. Hall and Ben Schwartz have been cast, and Rainn Wilson and Sarah Silverman are in negotiations to star, in Peep World, an indie film about a group of adult siblings who squabble after one of them describes thinly veiled versions of the family in his novel. No word yet on which actor will play which dysfunctional family member.

Supermodel Elle Macpherson has joined the CW's drama pilot Beautiful Life in a recurring role as Claudia, the owner of the top modeling agency in New York. Claudia is "an '80s supermodel who is still in great shape and runs her business with the efficiency and toughness of a dictator." Mischa Barton has already been cast in the show as a supermodel.

Christine Baranski has been added as a regular and Chris Noth as a guest star on CBS' drama pilot The Good Wife. The show centers on a politician's wife (Julianna Margulies) who gets a job as a junior associate at a top law firm. Emmy winner Baranski will play the top litigator at the firm; Noth will play a former DA, in jail because of a sex scandal.

Broadway actor Barrett Foa has been cast in the new CBS pilot NCIS: Legend. Foa will play Tech Operator Eric Beal in the two-part pilot, an NCIS spinoff that stars LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell. The actor most recently appeared on Broadway in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, with past credits including Mamma Mia! and Avenue Q.

-- Daniel Lehman