Jodie Whittaker Joins Ellen Pompeo in Hulu Dramedy Pilot ‘Chicks’

Jodie Whittaker has been cast opposite Ellen Pompeo in the Hulu pilot “Chicks,” Variety has confirmed.

The pilot was first announced with Pompeo in a lead role back in June. The logline describes it as “a family dramedy set in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods of old Boston, about Chickie (Pompeo) and Doreen (Whittaker), two estranged half-sisters who are both struggling to get by when their wise guy dad unexpectedly kicks the bucket. Their only inheritance is a legacy of two-bit crime that inspires them to run increasingly audacious frauds. As their con grows, so does their odd-couple bond, as they each start to fill the father-shaped hole in the other’s heart.”

Doreen is further described as “Wiry and wired, as scrappy as they come, Doreen’s worked every job under the sun and is no stranger to a less-than legal side hustles. But beneath her rough, wise-cracking exterior, Doreen is a puppy dog, and all she really wants is to be seen by her big sister Chicks.”

Whittaker is known for her breakout role in the hit British drama “Broadchurch” as well as for starring in “Doctor Who” as the 13th Doctor. She most recently appeared in the Netflix film “Office Romance” and in the BBC limited series “Dear England.” Her other notable roles include the series “Toxic Town,” “Black Mirror,” and “Frauds.” She is currently filming Season 6 of “Only Murders in the Building.”

She is repped by Independent Talent, Cognition, and CLD Communications.

Pompeo will star in and executive produce the pilot under her Calamity Jane banner along with Laura Holstein. Katie Robbins is writing and executive producing, with 20th Television serving as the studio.

Hulu has been increasingly ordering pilots of late after many streamers eschewed the practice in favor of straight-to-series orders. The current pilot crop includes Ryan Coogler’s “X-Files” reboot and “Southern Bastards,” both of which are under the Onyx Collective brand. It was also recently announced that Cooper Hoffman would star in the Hulu pilot “Durango.”

Deadline first reported Whittaker’s casting.