'Person of Interest' star Sarah Shahi to play the new Nancy Drew in TV series
Shortly after the news came out that CBS will be rebooting “Nancy Drew,” it was confirmed that Sarah Shahi has been given the lead role.
Shahi has appeared in several TV shows such as “Person of Interest,” “Fairly Legal” and “Chicago Fire.” She will be joining the cast that includes Anthony Edwards, who will play her father on the show; Vanessa Ferlito, who will play George, Nancy’s one-time NYPD partner and an important character in the books; and Felix Solis, who will play Nancy’s boss in the NYPD. There is still no news whether other characters like Bess and Ned from the books will be part of the show.
The new Nancy Drew series will feature a more diverse cast, as well as a more mature storyline compared to previous versions. Shahi was born in Texas and has an Iranian father and Spanish mother, which means that the red-headed character that people have been familiar with for years will finally have a makeover.
Instead of being a college student, like in the books, the upcoming CBS series will feature Nancy in her 30s and working for the New York Police Department. It can mean that she will be working on more serious cases and possibly deadly twisted crimes.
TVLine writes that her recent casting as Nancy Drew can also indicate that “Person of Interest,” where Shahi plays Sameen Shaw, will truly be ending after Season 5, which is set to air sometime in 2016. The actress has been on the show since the second season. Shahi recently returned to the show as a regular after her maternity leave. Executive producer J.J. Abrams previously said that Season 5 will most likely be the last, although they still have a lot of good stories to tell if CBS decides to continue the show.
Shahi is repped by CAA, McKeon-Myones Management and attorneys Meyer & Downs.
“Drew,” the title of the upcoming series, comes from CBS Television Studios and will be executive produced by Dan Jinks. Joan Rater and Tony Phelan will serve as the show writers.
The official launch date of “Drew” has yet to be announced.
