‘Desperate Housewives’ Alum Roger Bart Joins EPIX’s ‘Graves’

Roger Bart is headed for the nation’s capital.

The Desperate Housewives alum has joined EPIX’s political satire series Graves in a recurring role, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

The single-camera comedy stars Nick Nolte as a former president of the U.S. Two decades after his term ends, he begins to think that his policies have damaged the country for decades, so he goes on a Don Quixote-like journey to fix things. At the same time his wife, Margaret, begins to pursue her political aspirations.

Bart will play Lawrence Mills, a long-established D.C. speechwriter who worked as the Graves administration’s director of communications. He crafted the president’s signature rhetoric even if, at times, it compromised his own lifestyle and ideology.

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The Broadway veteran joins a cast that includes Skylar Astin, Chris Lowell, Helene Yorke and Angelica Maria. Susan Sarandon was originally set to play the former first lady, but she exited the project last month. The role has yet to be recast.

Bart’s other credits include Revenge, How I Met Your Mother and Episodes, as well as recent stints on Scream Queens and You’re the Worst. He is repped by Innovative Artists and Principato-Young Entertainment.

Joshua Michael Stern (Swing Vote) created Graves and will write, direct and executive produce the series. Oscar-winning producer Greg Shapiro (The Hurt Locker) also exec produces. Produced by Lionsgate Television Group, the comedy is expected to premiere in fall 2016 on EPIX.