Deadline reports that actor-writer-comedian Biniam Bizuneh (How to be Broke) is replacing Bernard David Jones (The Mayor) as the male lead in their upcoming FOX comedy pilot, Culture Clash. Bizuneh will star opposite Beth Behrs (2 Broke Girls) as her fiance.
Culture Clash (which was originally titled Our People) is based on the Israel format Nevsu: A Young Multi-Cultural Couple. The pilot is a single-camera series centered on an engaged couple (Bizuneh and Behrs) with deeply divergent backgrounds: he’s from a bombastic African family; she’s from a mid-western family. Together, they try to build a normal life together – though nobody can agree what “normal” means.
Bizuneh’s character, Abel, is a good-natured and educated Ethiopian refugee who can be a smart mouth when pushed. His time spent in a refugee camp as a child before coming to America left him with a few rough edges. The pilot was written by Vali Chandrasekaran (Modern Family) who serves as an executive producer alongside Lee Daniels.
The cast also includes Lea Thompson (Caroline in the City), Charles Parnell (The Last Ship), Skai Jackson (Jesse), Saidah Arrika Ekulona (Impastor), and Matthew Glave (ER). The project is produced by Lee Daniels Entertainment, Endemol Shine, and 20th Century Fox TV.
