Jolene Purdy Joins New USA Network Comedy Series 'Benched'

Jolene Purdy has been tapped as a series regular on USA Network's upcoming courtroom comedy BENCHED. Purdy will play Micah, an intern in the public defender's office. She joins previously announced Eliza Coupe ("Happy Endings"), Jay Harrington ("Better off Ted") and Oscar Nunez ("The Office"). BENCHED is from ABC Signature and The Mark Gordon Company.

Born and raised in Torrance, California Purdy began her career singing in the Disneyland California Adventure live action Aladdin production. She is perhaps best known for her role as Cherita Chen in the cult film "Donnie Darko" where she starred opposite Jake Gyllenhaal. Her television credits include appearances on "Breaking Bad," "Glee," "Raising Hope," "10 Things I Hate About You," as well as a series regular role on "Gigantic." Purdy can also be seen in the upcoming dramatic series "Under the Dome." She is repped by Don Buchwald & Associates and Vanguard Management.

BENCHED is a single-camera half-hour courtroom comedy that focuses on Nina (Coupe), a dedicated, career-driven corporate attorney who has a very public nervous breakdown after getting passed up for an expected promotion, and finds herself working as a public defender. Her personal and professional worlds are turned upside down when she joins the ranks of the legal world's underdogs and very quickly realizes that the law isn't quite as fair as she once thought. Jay Harrington stars as Nina's new colleague, Phil, a tall, dark and handsome, if not a little scruffy, public defender and avid gambler.

The series is from executive producers and writers Michaela Watkins ("Saturday Night Live," "Trophy Wife") and Damon Jones ("The Groundlings") and John Enbom, co-creator of the critically acclaimed comedy "Party Down," will join as executive producer and showrunner. Mark Gordon ("Grey's Anatomy," "Criminal Minds," "Ray Donovan") and Andrea Shay ("Family Tools") are executive producing for The Mark Gordon Company. BENCHED is from ABC Signature, a division of ABC Studios.

Source - The Futon Critic