Naveen Andrews Joins Amanda Seyfried in Hulu’s ‘The Dropout’
UPDATE (3/31/21):
The Dropout is adding another star to its growing roster as Lost alum Naveen Andrews signs on to the project for Hulu. According to Vulture, the actor will portray Elizabeth Holmes’ boyfriend and business partner Sunny Balwani. The actor joins recently announced actress Amanda Seyfried on the project from New Girl‘s Liz Meriwether.
ORIGINAL STORY (3/29/21): Hulu has found its replacement to play Elizabeth Holmes in the upcoming drama The Dropout as Amanda Seyfried steps into the role originally set for Kate McKinnon.
Announced back in 2019, The Dropout is based on the ABC News/ABC Radio podcast that details the rise and fall of Holmes’ now-defunct company Theranos. A chemical engineering prodigy who dropped out of Stanford to create her own startup, Holmes promised to revolutionize blood testing, but ultimately proved to be a fraud.
According to Variety, Seyfried will also serve as a producer on the project. The news comes just weeks after the actress earned an Oscar nomination for her role in Netflix’s Mank. Her other credits include the films Mamma Mia, Mean Girls and Les Miserables, and TV series Big Love, Twin Peaks, and Veronica Mars.
Holmes’ fraud was so successful at the time that Theranos was valued as a multi-billion dollar company, making her one of the world’s richest women. In 2018, Holmes was indicted on various counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
(Credit: HBO Documentary Films /courtesy Everett Collection)
HBO’s buzzy documentary, The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley, also chronicled Holmes’ criminal activity, taking a look at her rise to power and the eventual fall of Theranos.
News of McKinnon’s exit was announced in February. She was also expected to executive produce the project. She’s currently set to play Carole Baskin in NBCUniversal’s Joe Exotic series.
The Dropout, TBA, Hulu
