Actor Andre Holland will star in Netflix’s The Eddy. Based on an American jazz musician living in Paris, the drama series is the creation of American film director Damien Chazelle. In 2016, Chazelle won the Best Director Academy Award for La La Land, a romantic musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. The Eddy was initially order by Netflix in 2017.

At 39 years old, Holland is a veteran TV and film star. In 2006, he landed his first on-screen role in Law & Order, and later starred in the short-lived 2011 NBC comedy Friends with Benefits, followed by a main role in the NBC drama 1600 Penn. By 2014, Holland experienced the best year of his acting career upon landing a main role in the Steven Soderbergh-directed Cinemax series The Knick, while also starring as Andrew Young in Ava DuVernay’s Martin Luther King film Selma. Holland also starred in Barry Jenkins’ 2016 hit Moonlight, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture over the aforementioned La La Land. In recent years, Holland has continued to balance feature film and TV roles. Most recently, he starred in Soderbergh’s Netflix film High Flying Bird.

Per Deadline, Holland will collaborate with Chazelle for the Netflix series The Eddy. Not only will Holland portray the main character, Elliot Udo, but he’ll also co-produce the series as well. The Eddy will reportedly explore “contemporary multicultural Paris,” as Holland’s down and out character leaves America and runs a failing music club in The City of Light. The series protagonist carries on a relationship with a singer, and receives a visit from his 15-year-old daughter. The Eddy will be produced in France and have eight episodes. 

For Chazelle, The Eddy marks his first television project. He’ll reportedly direct the first two episodes with screenwriter Jack Thorne. Most recently, Chazelle directed the 2018 feature film First Man about Neil Armstrong’s voyage to the moon. While the biographical drama was well-received and currently has an 87 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, it was a departure from Chazelle’s history of jazz-centric productions, such as La La Land, 2014’s Whiplash and his 2009 debut Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench. With The Eddy, Chazelle returns to his cinematic roots.

Last month, we reported that Holland auditioned for the lead villain role in Marvel’s Black Widow. If Holland manages to land such a coveted spot, then he’ll undoubtedly earn a significantly larger following in the near future. For now, he’s already a well-known star, and Netflix’s The Eddy could make Holland a household name, especially with the direction and partnership of Chazelle, a filmmaker known for his attention to detail and musical knowledge.

More: Netflix Renews After Life For Season 2, Will Premiere In 2020

Source: Deadline