John Daly Limited Series In Works From Village Roadshow With Kevin James Tapped To Play Iconic Golfer
EXCLUSIVE: The iconic golfer John Daly is getting the TV treatment from Village Roadshow and the studio looks to have found some royalty to play the part. Sources tell Deadline that King Of Queens star Kevin James is on board to star in a limited series based on the life of the legendary golfer.
The series will be executive produced by comedian Gary Valentine, a frequent collaborator of James’ who also wrote and acted in The King of Queens, as well as two-time Emmy-winning producer and manager Rory Rosegarten, who also represents Valentine, with whom he launched Valentine-Rosegarten Productions. Also executive producing is David Spielgelman, the long-standing studio leader who most recently served as President of Domestic Television Distribution for STX Entertainment, and who previously spent more than a decade with both EuropaCorp and New Line Cinema.
More from Deadline
Village Roadshow Extends First-Look Deal With Kevin Garnett's Content Cartel
Alan Ritchson & Kevin James To Lead Action-Comedy 'Playdate', Filming To Begin March 11 In Canada
Jimmy Hoffa Docuseries In The Works At Village Roadshow From Erik Nelson
This marks a reunion for Village Roadshow Chief Steve Mosko and James, who have had a long-running relationship going all the way back to when Mosko tapped him to star in King Of Queens when he was Sony Pictures TV Chairman.
Daly is an iconic golfer with 19 professional tournament wins, including five PGA Tour titles and two majors. After turning pro in 1987, he qualified for the PGA Tour in 1991, taking the tour by storm by winning the PGA Championship that same year. Daly is beloved for his talent, his unique and self-taught play style, including record-breaking driving distance, and his endearing, free-spirited attitude, as reflected by his eccentric outfits and his coining of the phrase “I just grip it and rip it.” Daly is also no stranger to controversy, having experienced bouts of alcoholism, gambling addiction, and spats with course officials and fans. Still, he is adored by fans around the world and remains one of golf’s most legendary figures.
James seems the perfect fit for the golfer especially when it comes to jovial and likeable personality that Daly still carries to this day, helping building fan base around the world. This isn’t the first time James has played a well known sports personality having recently starred as NFL head coach Sean Payton in the Netflix movie, Home Team. The movie was the true story of how Payton went on to coach his son’s 6th-grade football team while he is being suspended for the entire 2012 season as a result of his role in the Saints’ Bountygate scandal.
James is repped UTA and Jeff Sussman management.
Best of Deadline
Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
