Shubhabrata Dutta
HBO Max’s next star-studded show is about to go into production. The filming of the family drama series ‘How To Survive Without Me’ will take place in Los Angeles starting May 18 this year. Jeremy Carver is the showrunner, with Greg Berlanti, Bash Doran, and Robbie Rogers writing. Daniel Minahan is direct. The cast includes Ray Romano, Kaley Cuoco, Joshua Jackson, Julia Schlaepfer, Jack Ball, Kylar Miranda, and Julian Grey.
The story is set in the wake of matriarch Beverly’s passing. The De Angelis family has begun to drift, unsure how to manage their complicated, evolving lives without her guidance, but in true Beverly fashion, she found a way to keep running the show from beyond the grave. Should they wish to experience Beverly’s final work, the family must find the time – and make the effort – to remain connected, and be there for each other through all of life’s challenges yet to come.
Ray Romano (‘The Irishman,’ ‘Ice Age’ movies, ‘Paddleton’) will play Leo, a newly widower, who is suddenly thrust into the lead role of a parent he never auditioned for. As his five complicated adult children begin to navigate life without their mother, Leo is forced to find his own voice as a parent, moving out of his wife’s shadow to become the family’s new, differently effective center.
Joshua Jackson (‘Dawson’s Creek,’ ‘Doctor Odyssey,’ ‘Fatal Attraction’) will play Cooper, a chef about to open a members’ dining club in Los Angeles. He is the sibling of Julia Schlaepfer’s (‘1923’) character, Liz, and Kaley Cuoco’s (‘The Big Bang Theory,’ ‘The Flight Attendant’) character, Kate, the eldest daughter who inherited her mother’s perfectionism, elegance, and organizational prowess. Cooper is literally carrying forward his mother’s recipes and approach to food. He is confident on the outside, but is suffering on the inside – keeping a secret that could destroy both his lifelong friendships and the culinary career he’s built in his mother’s honor.
Jack Ball (‘Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party,’ ‘Room Six’) will play the middle son, Cary, who inherited his mom’s razor-sharp wit and intellect. He turned down a lucrative job after graduation to work at his father’s financial planning firm, juggling temperamental clients and his father’s grief. His husband, Luis, and their two kids provide a welcome sanctuary when Cary feels overwhelmed by his siblings.
Kylar Miranda (‘On Swift Horses’) will play Luis, Cary’s husband. Luis is a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team’s and MLB’s first openly gay player. He is the easy-going counter to Cary’s perpetually overwhelmed nature.
Julian Grey (‘Fear the Walking Dead,’ ‘Godless’) will play PJ, the youngest sibling. He still lives at home with Leo and spends his days lounging by the pool, playing video games, and ordering food with Leo’s credit cards. His siblings think he’s a freeloader, but the real reason he stays home would surprise them all.
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