Jane Leeves will be playing Hannah Simone’s mother in the as-yet-untitled comedy pilot. Written and executive produced by Simone with Matt Fusfeld and Alex Cuthbertson, and based on her family, the show will focus on Hannah and her Indian immigrant father Sid. Each one has to start over — Hannah professionally because she’s stuck in a dead-end job, and Sid because his marriage has failed — and they grow closer as a result. Leeves will play Simone’s mother, Catherine. “She is effusive, warm, a bit batty and flamboyant, but well-meaning,” according to Deadline. “She stuns her grown children by announcing she and Sid are divorced and she has fallen in love with someone new … herself.” Leeves was first batty and warm as Daphne on Frasier. Remember how the early seasons portrayed her as psychic and a little crazy? Then they just sort of stopped. Anyway, Leeves recently co-starred in The Resident and Hot in Cleveland.
