Rosie O'Donnell by Stephen Lovekin/WireImage.com
Is Rosie O'Donnell ready for some football? The producers of NBC's critical darling Friday Night Lights certainly hope so.
FNL execs are wooing the ex-View lightning rod to appear in an episode this fall. "Rosie's a big fan of Friday Night Lights, as we know from The View, and we heard she was interested in being on the show," executive producer Jason Katims tells me. "Usually we don't do any stunt casting, but we have a character coming up — six or seven episodes into the new season — of a female soccer coach who is really angry about all of the school's resources going to football. It's a really funny character and I think she'd be perfect for it.
"There's a scene where she comes in to see Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and slams a dead soccer ball on his desk and basically says, 'You're the guy who gets everything!'" Katims continues. "It's a really fun scene, and it's the one time I'm thinking of stunt casting."
Katims, who will formally approach O'Donnell in the coming weeks, says he's willing to tailor the part to fit her wants/needs. "It would be one episode, but the way we write things, we stay very open to abrupt things," he says. "So if she comes out, loves doing it, and wants to do more, she could do it. But initially, it would be just one scene, and that would be the way to get her. Knowing that she could come [out to the show's Austin, Texas, set], hang out, have a scene with Kyle Chandler and then be done could be very appealing to her."
Responds O'Donnell's rep, Cindi Berger: "No definitive plans. They are in talks and she loves the show."
FNL would no doubt benefit as well. An appearance by the headline magnet could give the ratings-challenged drama just the shot in the arm it needs.
Thoughts? You game for a O'Donnell recruitment? Or is FNL swimming in jump-the-shark territory? Let the Wednesday-morning quarterbacking begin in the comments section below!
UPDATE: Rosie reacts to my story on her blog (scroll down to 24th question)!
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