“Dumb & Dumber” and “The Newsroom” star Jeff Daniels will portray James Comey in an upcoming miniseries based on the 2018 best-selling book by the former FBI director that will also feature Irish actor Brendan Gleeson as President Trump, Showtime announced.
The series, titled “The Comey Rule,” comes more than three years since Comey was fired by Trump in May 2017, which expedited the creation of a special counsel investigation into possible Russian collusion with the president’s campaign leading up to the 2016 election. The 22-month investigation resulted in former special counsel Robert Mueller’s team concluding it found insufficient evidence of any criminal wrongdoing.
The premium cable channel characterizes the new series as “an immersive, behind-the-headlines account of the historically turbulent events surrounding the 2016 presidential election and its aftermath.” It is set to air after Election Day in late November.
Showtime adds that the offering will be “the story of two powerful figures, Comey and Trump, whose strikingly different personalities, ethics and loyalties put them on a collision course.”
The channel says the first part of the series will delve into the FBI’s investigation into 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s emails from her time as secretary of State.
In July 2016, Comey described her actions as “extremely careless” in the handling “of very sensitive, highly classified information” but said no charges were being pressed, leading to widespread criticism from conservatives.
The investigation was reopened in October of that year, just days before the election, after classified emails were found on the laptop of former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), the husband of top Clinton adviser Huma Abedin. The investigation was dropped before Election Day, with Democrats crying foul over its validity and timing.
Part two will be a detailed account of the relationship between Comey and Trump in the first five months of the his presidency, Showtime said.
Holly Hunter will also play then-acting Attorney General Sally Yates, Michael Kelly will appear as former FBI director and current CNN contributor Andrew McCabe, and Kingsley Ben-Adir will portray former President Obama.
–This report was updated at 9:50 a.m.