'Argo' Actor to Co-Star in AMC's '80s Computer Drama

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Scoot McNairy

Argo's Scoot McNairy is AMC-bound.

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The actor who played Joe Stafford, one of the Americans holed up in the Canadian embassy in Iran, in the Oscar-winning drama has booked the co-starring role in the network's drama pilot Halt & Catch Fire, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

STORY: 'Pushing Daisies' Alum Lee Pace to Star in AMC's '80s Computer Drama

Set in the early '80s, the drama revolves around the personal-computing boom and is told through the eyes of three individuals -- a visionary, Joe MacMillan (Pushing Daisies' Lee Pace); an engineer, Gordon Clarke (McNairy); and prodigy Cameron Howe (Smashed's Mackenzie Davis) -- whose innovations directly confront the corporate behemoths of the time. Their partnership will be challenged by greed and ego while charting the changing culture in Texas' Silicon Prairie.

Gordon is an engineer at Cardiff Giant who puts his brilliance on the shelf after his own bold business endeavor fails, leaving him frustrated, insecure and unfulfilled.

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Halt & Catch Fire is created by Chris Cantwell and Chris Rogers, with Breaking Bad's Mark Johnson and Melissa Bernstein on board to executive produce. The effort hails from AMC Studios and Gran Via Productions. Juan Jose Campanella (House) will direct the pilot.

Repped by WME, the Group and Jackoway Tyerman, McNairy's credits include the features Killing Them Softly and Monsters and episodes of Bones, How I Met Your Mother and Six Feet Under.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit