Ahead of The Diplomat‘s third season premiere on Netflix in a few weeks, the streamer has revealed audiences will see more of Allison Janney and Bradley Whitford in the fourth season of the political thriller drama as they have been promoted to series regulars.
Janney was introduced in the second season as Vice President Grace Penn, but following the President’s sudden death in the closing moments of season two she is now Commander in Chief. Janney appeared in a recurring role and will continue in that capacity for season 3 which introduces Bradley Whitford as her husband Todd Penn, now the First Gentleman.
“Working with Allison and Brad, watching them together again, and the off the charts foursome that is them with Keri and Rufus … it’s an insane bag of candy,” said series creator Debora Cahn. “Our expectations were high, and it blew right past them.”
The upcoming season of The Diplomat will see tensions mount between Keri Russell’s Kate Wyler as she gets off on a rocky start with the new President, who she had just accused of orchestrating a terrorist plot. The series also stars Rufus Sewell as Hal Wylder, David Gyasi as British Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison, Ali Ahn as CIA Station Chief Eidra Park, Ato Essandoh as Deputy Chief of Mission Stuart Hayford, Rory Kinnear as British Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge and Aiden Turner.
In Season 3, ambassador Kate Wyler lives the particular nightmare that is getting what you want. She just accused Vice President Grace Penn of hatching a terrorist plot and admitted she’s after the VP’s job. But now the President is dead, Kate’s husband Hal may have inadvertently killed him, and Grace Penn is leader of the free world. None of this slows Hal’s campaign to land Kate the vice presidency. Kate steps into a role she never wanted, with a freedom she never expected, an increasingly complicated friendship with Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison, and an unnerving bond with First Gentleman Todd Penn.
The Diplomat will premiere on Netflix on October 16th.
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