Joey Lauren Cast as Female Lead in CMT's Upcoming Comedy STILL THE KING

CMT today announced that Joey Lauren Adams will join the cast of the forthcoming single camera scripted comedy, "Still The King" starring Billy Ray Cyrus, which kicked off production in NASHVILLE last week and is slated to premiere next year.

Adams will play the series' female lead, Debbie Lynn Cook, a fiery and feisty single mother who lives with her unemployed younger boyfriend, Ronnie, and teenage daughter, Charlotte. Her life is turned upside down when fallen country music one-hit-wonder Burnin' Vernon Brown (Cyrus) unexpectedly crashes back into her life, 15 years after their one night stand produced Charlotte.

Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

"'Still The King' is one of those special projects where just one week in, it already feels like family," said Joey Lauren Adams. "It's a pleasure to join such a kind and talented group of people whose strong vision and love for their characters makes bringing Debbie to life a true joy. The show is quick, funny and smart and will catch you off guard with genuine emotion. I'm having a great time - and often finding it difficult to keep a straight face."

"When I created 'Still The King' I knew getting a great cast was vital to our success," said Billy Ray Cyrus. "From the moment the character of Debbie was conceived, we wanted Joey to bring her to life. She has an uncanny ability to infuse humor into highly charged emotional scenes, while also taking advantage of comedic moments to showcase the character's strength and vulnerability. This complex relationship between Vernon, Debbie and their daughter Charlotte serves as the heart of the show."

Joey Lauren Adam is a Golden Globe nominated actress best known for her roles in "Dazed and Confused," "Chasing Amy," "Mallrats" and for writing and directing the critically-acclaimed Sundance film "Come Early Morning," which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize in Drama." Recently, she guest-starred in the season premiere of "Grey's Anatomy." She is represented by Silver Lining Entertainment and attorney Dave Feldman.

"Still The King" features Cyrus as Vernon Brown, AKA "Burnin' Vernon," a scandal-ridden washed up one-hit wonder who is kicked out of country music, only to emerge 20 years later as the second best Elvis impersonator in Laughlin, Nevada. After crashing into an old country church outside of NASHVILLE during a drunken bender, he is sentenced to return and perform community service. Along the way, he pretends to be the congregation's new minister and discovers he has a 15-year-old daughter he's never met.

"Still The King" is produced by HIDEOUT PICTURES with Billy Ray Cyrus serving as executive producer and writer. Shannon Houchins, Potsy Ponciroli and Travis Nicholson also executive produce. Julia Silverton and Jayson Dinsmore executive produce for CMT.

CMT, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the leading television and digital authority on country music and entertainment, reaching more than 92 million homes in the U.S. CMT, CMT.com and CMT Radio offer an unparalleled mix of music, news, live concerts and series and are the top resource for country music on demand. The network's digital platforms include the 24-hour music channel, CMT Pure Country, CMT App, CMT Mobile and CMT VOD.

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