NBC's 'About a Boy' Finds Its Young Lead in '1600 Penn' Co-Star (Exclusive)

Benjamin Stockham

NBC has found its boy.

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1600 Penn's Benjamin Stockham has landed the key role of Marcus in the network's comedy pilot About a Boy, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively.

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Parenthood's Jason Katims will pen the pilot adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel and the 2002 film starring Hugh Grant. The Universal Television single-camera comedy follows the relationship between a bachelor man-child named Will (New Girl's David Walton) and the young boy named Marcus who moves in next door with his crazy single mother, Fiona (Minnie Driver).

Stockham, who plays Xander Gilchrist -- the young son of the president -- on NBC's freshman comedy 1600 Penn, will take on the role played by Nicholas Hoult in the movie.)

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Stockham's About a Boy casting is in second position to 1600 Penn, which has struggled out of the gate for NBC. Airing against repeat competition on Thursday last week, 20th TV-produced 1600 Penn notched a 0.9 in the key adults 18-49 demographic -- a series low.

Stockham most recently guest starred on ABC's Once Upon a Time and previously starred on Fox's short-lived Sons of Tucson. He's repped by Paradigm, Strong Management and Morris Yorn.

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