The Casting Call 09.30.09

The Casting Call brings together the latest casting news to keep you informed on who is showing up on which show. Find out who is joining your favorite show as a series regular, a recurring character, a guest star or special cameo. The Casting Call could reveal upcoming story-lines, so be aware, there may be spoilers ahead.

Bones (Fox)
The show has finally cast a grandfather for David Boreanaz’s Seeley Booth. Hank Booth, a former army EMT, will be played by Ralph Waite, who played patriarch John Walton on The Waltons from 1972-81. Ralph, now 81, was cast after James Garner, also 81, proved too ill to take on the role.

Hank will insist on accompanying his grandson out into the field to investigate The Foot in the Foreclosure on the November 19 episode. The episode starts off with Hank, recovering from a bypass, leaving a nursing home after getting into physical altercations with his male nurses. He walks out and comes to live with Booth, whom he raised. They’ll try to rekindle the life they had for so many years, but you can never quite reclaim the past. We will also learn the reasons behind Booth’s abusive father abandoning his son at age 11.

CSI: Miami (CBS)
Omar Miller has joined the cast as a series regular. His first episode will air October 5. Miller plays Walter Simmons, a Louisiana native and art theft specialist who transfers over from the night shift to join Horatio’s team. He was originally cast as a guest star, with the network recently picking up his series regular option.

Desperate Housewives (ABC)
Actress-comedienne Kathy Najimy is set to guest star in an upcoming episode of the show. Najimy will play a police officer with a surprising connection to Teri Hatcher’s Susan. “Susan suspects Katherine was the one who attacked Julie, so she gets [a cop] to help her,” explains Housewives creator Marc Cherry. “But then she finds out the policewoman went to high school with her — and Susan stole her boyfriend, too! So [Najimy] has been going around the past 30 years resenting her.” Najimy’s episode is slated to air in late October.

Gossip Girl (The CW)
Kevin Zegers has joined the cast for a multi-episode arc. He will play Damien, an international bad-boy love interest to Jenny Humphrey (Taylor Momsen).

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Sarah Drew has joined the medical drama in a recurring role. Drew will play a fourth doctor from Mercy West Hospital in a storyline involving a merger with Seattle Grace Hospital. The merger, announced by The Chief in the season premiere, will actually take place on the October 15 episode.

She joins previously announced Mercy West newcomers Robert Baker, Jesse Williams and Nora Zehetner as doctors out to take down our Seattle Grace favorites in a ruthless competition that will leave some without jobs.