The readers of PopWatch have spoken — and the producers of NBC’s Joey have promptly ignored them. Earlier this week, we noted that Matt LeBlanc’s title character would be getting a sidekick named Zach, an effort to improve the show’s creative and commercial fortunes, and you made such interesting casting suggestions as Wonderfalls alum Lee Pace, Matt Dillon, Daryll ”Chill” Mitchell, 90210‘s Ian Ziering, and Titus‘ Zack Ward.
Well, as we say in New Yawk, fuhgeddaboudit! The role has gone to Miguel Núñez Jr. (left), and if you don’t recognize him, maybe it’s because you’re not picturing him dribbling a basketball in fetching she-drag, a look he sported in his lead role in the 2002 comedy flop Juwanna Mann. Núñez’s Zach is an actor who ”thinks he’s a lot better than he is. He thinks he’s a mover and a shaker, but he’s not,” executive producer Kevin Bright told Variety.
While Núñez’s TV track record (he was regular on such short-lived series as Tarzan, Sparks, and The Faculty) isn’t the kind of thing that will automatically help Joey face off in an ultra-competitive timeslot against Survivor: Guatemala, Alias, Smallville, The O.C., and Everybody Hates Chris, the sitcom will get one other secret weapon in its sophomore year: Bright says the hilarious Jennifer Coolidge (who plays Joey’s agent) will appear in every episode in the upcoming season. Now that’s my idea of must-see TV.
Miguel’s Dee Jay was one of the only saving graces of the “Streetfighter” movie (the other was the choice of Raul Juli as M. Bison).
Looking at the rest of his filmography, it definately seems like he played a lot of “expendable Black guy” roles, so the character on the show probably won’t be a big stretch for the actor. There’s hope here, but I doubt that the addition of a new character will save this show, especially if Chris Rock’s series turns out to be as good as people have been hyping it up to be.
i want lucy liu back on the show
Yeah, why can’t Joey get Lucy Liu back on the show? Her character was the best and had the most potential.
Miguel Núñez Jr. Will Be Zack on NBC Sitcom Joey
Joey, the title character Matt LeBlanc portrays, is getting a sidekick named Zach, in an effort to boost the show’s creative and commercial fortunes. The role has gone to Miguel Núñez Jr., and if you don’t recognize him, maybe it’s because you’re not p…
Jennifer Coolidge in every episode! YAY! that’s just what that show needs! And when Joey gets dumped down the drain, then Coolidge can finally get her own little show.
Hey, thanks for posting my suggestion of having Daryll “Chill” Mitchell be Joey’s sidekick. I never watched Friends nor Joey. Im black but it doesn’t matter one way or the other whether NBC felt it be politically correct to have some “color” added to the sitcom. I mean, if you think about, it doesn’t matter what color the character or characters are on a show, just as long as the show is funny and the
actor(s) are funny. My point is this, I probably wont watch Joey even with Miguel on there not unless the previews prove to me otherwise. Peace