Sam Heughan from Ascent

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Sam Heughan is losing the kilt and joining Viola Davis in his next TV project.

The "Outlander" alum will star alongside Davis in the Paramount+ drama series "Ascent," the streamer has announced. "Ascent" is billed as "a character-driven thriller set in the dangerous world of global corporate crisis and damage control." Heughan will play Conal, who is "one of Ascent Ventures' top agents. A lethally charming and natural chameleon, Conal uses social cunning and ruthlessness to get the job done, and he always gets a thrill out of completing a mission."

Davis will star as Catriona, "an elite corporate fixer, who must weaponize the ruthless skills that have made her indispensable to billion-dollar clients when her estranged daughter is in danger." Her casting was announced back in August. John Logan ("Penny Dreadful") created the series and will serve as showrunner.

Heughan is best known for playing Scottish hero Jamie Fraser in the Starz time-travel fantasy "Outlander," which wrapped up an eight-season run in May. He's also set to star with Anna Kendrick and J.K. Simmons in the geopolitical thriller "Embassy," coming soon to MGM+.

In other casting news...

Madelaine Petsch from The Watcher

Netflix

  • Netflix's "The Watcher" has added Madelaine Petsch ("Riverdale") to its Season 2 cast as a series regular, along with Evan Adams, Owen Painter ("Wednesday"), and Quintessa Swindell ("Prime Target"). Season 1 stars Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale will return as well, joined by Isabel Gravitt and Margo Martindale.
  • Apple TV's upcoming thriller "Disavowed," starring James Marsden, has added Sebastian Koch ("Homeland") to its cast, per Deadline. The series stars Marsden as a CIA case officer who "is abruptly fired in the middle of a global hunt for an elusive assassin responsible for killing his colleague" and "decides to go after the $15 million federal bounty on the assassin's head."
  • Netflix's "Pagans," starring Steven Yeun, has added four to its cast: Logan Kim ("The Walking Dead: Dead City") as Nate, Marin Ireland ("His & Hers") as Janelle, Intae Kim ("How to Get Away With Murder") as Casey, and newcomer Sabine Grace as Alice.