Fresh off of scaring the shit out of us in Get Out, Catherine Keener is set to add another tally mark on her very niche list of sad puppeteer TV shows or films. The former Being John Malkovich star has signed on for Jim Carrey’s new Showtime series Kidding, about a cheerful children’s entertainer whose life suddenly begins falling apart. (Which means you can also fill in Death To Smoochy on your bingo card of Catherine Keener movies this project resembles.)
The show is being created by Carrey and his old Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind director Michel Gondry (making this the most Charlie Kaufman-esque project we can imagine in which Charlie Kaufman isn’t actually involved). Carrey will play kid-friendly puppeteer Mr. Pickles, a smiling jokester who just wants to make people happy, but who is slowly being driven insane by the pressures and indignities of the real world. (Parallels to Carrey’s own life and career are presumably meant to stay at a sub-textual level here.)
According to Deadline, Keener will play Dierdre, the woman who “thanklessly” builds all of Pickle’s puppets, but is forbidden from ever voicing one. The role represents the actress’ first regular TV series gig. She’s also currently set to star in the upcoming Sicario sequel, Soldado.