‘Breaking Bad’ Star Betsy Brandt Joins Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Magic Mike’

Wendi McLendon-Covey Admits She Had No Idea What The Movie Was About Until She Read A Press Release


Update #2: Variety reports that Mircea Monroe — aka the horny pregnant chick from “The Change-Up” — has joined “Magic Mike” playing Matthew Bomer‘s girlfriend.

Update: Deadline reports that wrestler Kevin Nash has also joined “Magic Mike.” Okay, then.

Yes, even as cameras are now rolling on Steven Soderbergh‘s “Magic Mike” — now begin described as a “stripper comedy” — casting continues.

Betsy Brandt, best known for her role as Bryan Cranston‘s sister-in-law Marie Schrader on “Breaking Bad,” has joined the film according to THR. Brandt joins Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer and Joe Manganiello along with Gabriel Igelsias, Olivia Munn, Riley Keough and Cody Horn in the film penned by Reid Carolin that will follow an experienced stripper (Tatum) who teaches a younger dancer (Pettyfer) how to hustle his wares on stage and off at the exotic club Xquisite, run by Dallas (McConaughey). There’s no word on what her role will be, but we’re guessing if fellow cast member Wendi McLendon-Covey‘s comments are anything to go by, it won’t be a very big part.

Chatting with the AV Club recently, McLendon-Covey revealed, “I am barely in that movie. I think I’m only in one or two scenes. They’ll be funny but…yeah, I just went for my fitting today. I haven’t been given the entire script yet. I look forward to seeing that.” It pretty much confirms that most people will drop anything even to do just a few lines in a Soderbergh movie. But perhaps even more surprising, McLendon-Covey claims she had no idea what it was about when she signed on.

“What’s funny is that I didn’t know what ‘Magic Mike’ was about until I read that press release. Until I saw, like, ‘Oh, this is floating around that you’re doing this.’ I’m like, ‘Oh. Well, okay.’ And then it kept coming my way and people kept sending me his links, and I’m like, ‘Oh, nothing’s going on in the world, I guess.’ That’s how I found out what it was about. I know what I’m playing, but I had no idea—I thought it was like, ‘Oh, is he a magician? Is he some weird magician? Magic Mike?’ ” she said. Amazing.

Anyway, filming is now underway but no release date or distributor has yet been pegged. With this kind of star power, however, we figure it’ll be sorted out soon enough and a 2012 release will be ironed out.

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