JoAnna Garcia Nabs Lead in NBC's ANIMAL PRACTICE

Deadline.com reports that JoAnna Garcia has nabbed the female lead in NBC's new series ANIMAL PRACTICE, created by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka. The actress will star opposite Justin Kirk in the network's upcoming fall comedy. Tyler Labine and Bobby Lee also star.

In the series, Kirk portrays 'George', described as "a House-like veterinarian, who loves animals but usually hates their owners (especially the new woman who runs the clinic)." Garcia will portRay George’s smart and beautiful old girlfriend, who is now engaged and given the job of running the animal hospital. Garcia replaces Amy Huberman, who played the role in the show's pilot episode. 

Garcia was originally set to appear in an ABC multi-camera family comedy project written by Shana Goldberg-Meehan. After the project did not go to pilot, the actress was cast in the female lead role of CBS's untitled Greg Malins/Greg Berlanti comedy pilot. The pilot ultimately was not picked up as a series by the network, making Garcia once again available. From there, she was approached by NBC to audition for ANIMAL PRACTICE and was quickly cast after the network felt instant chemistry between the actress and co-star Kirk.