Kyle Chandler to star in Showtime's "The Vatican"

“Friday Night Lights” alum Kyle Chandler is making his return to television with the Showtime project “The Vatican”. After passing on multiple pilots since his exit from “Friday Night Lights”, Chanlder has been incredibly sought after in the television world. “The Vatican” has fueled a fair amount of controversy due to its touchy subject matter, particularly after the recent news of the Pope’s resignation pushing the Catholic Church into the limelight. “The Vatican” will ““explore the relationships and rivalries as well as the mysteries and miracles behind one of the world’s most hidden institutions …. provocative contemporary genre thriller about spirituality, power and politics – set against the modern-day political machinations within the Catholic Church.”

Chandler will play the lead in “The Vatican” in the role of Cardinal Thomas Duffy, described as “the charismatic yet enigmatic Archbishop of New York, whose progressive leanings excite some and alarm others within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.” Joining Chandler will be “A Single Man” star Matthew Goode playing papal secretary Bernd Koch, the pope's closest confidant, who has a very powerful perch within the Vatican inner circle. Actor Sebastian Koch is joining the par as well as Cardinal Marco Malerba, the Vatican's secretary of state who is informally known as the “dark prince of the Curia” due to his influence and power within the Church hierarchy.

The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc, who said in a statement “Kyle Chandler is one of the most talented and sought-after actors working today, and was a fantastic creative partner through five seasons of Friday Night Lights. With Kyle, Matthew Goode and Sebastian Koch, Ridley and Paul have put together a powerhouse cast to anchor this incredibly timely show.”