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Casting News: Angela Bassett and Marianne Jean Baptiste in Films, Keenan Ivory Wayans and Regina King on TV

Angela and Marianne in dramas and Keenan and Regina take on comedy.

The big and small screen will soon have some of the acting industry’s favorite faces. Angela Bassett has been added to the cast of the upcoming film White Bird in a Blizzard. The movie, which is directed by Greg Araki and stars Gabourey Sidibe, tells the story of a troubled woman whose life is transformed by the disappearance of her mother. No word yet on who Bassett plays, but the Oscar-nominated actress posted the following on her Facebook page: “Filming the new Gregg Araki movie today with Gabby Sidibe, very excited!”

Marianne Jean-Baptiste joined the cast of the new Tom Cruise action-thriller, All You Need Is Kill. Cruise plays a soldier in a war with aliens who finds himself in a time warp during his last day in battle. Jean-Baptiste will play a scientist named Dr. Whittle and principal photography has begun in London. All You Need Is Kill is set for release on March 14, 2014.

Keenan Ivory Wayans will be returning to television this season. The In Living Color visionary will guest star on TV Land’s Happily Divorced, which stars Fran Drescher and Tichina Arnold. Wayans will star as Arnold’s ex-boyfriend. This marks the first time Wayans has appeared on TV since 2001, when he guest starred on brother Damon’s sitcom, My Wife and Kids. Happily Divorced centers around a Los Angeles florist (Drescher) who discovers after 18 years of marriage that her husband is gay. Arnold stars as Drescher’s BFF on the series.

Regina King will return to her comedy roots by guest starring on CBS’s hit comedy The Big Bang Theory in January 2013. King will play the director of employee relations at the university where Sheldon (Jim Parsons) works. There’s also word that King’s guest-starring role may become a recurring one. The actress will return to her starring role as Detective Lydia Adams on the TNT cop drama Southland in February.

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(Photos: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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