Jazz pianist-turned-actor Harry Connick Jr. is set to star in the Lifetime original movie Living Proof with an all-star cast. Connick plays Dr. Dennis Slamon, the real-life UCLA doctor who developed the revolutionary breast cancer drug, Herceptin, and fought relentlessly to keep the drug trials afloat and save the lives of thousands of women. Shooting is starting in New Orleans this week.
Bernardette Peters will play the first woman whose life is saved by the drug during trials; Amanda Bynes plays his student assistant; Angie Harmon portrays Lilly Tartikoff, wife of then-NBC TV head Brandon Tartikoff; and Regina King plays a fashion designer and breast cancer survivor.
Also appearing are Trudie Styler, the actress wife of Sting, and comic actress Jennifer Coolidge as participants in the first drug study. Swoosie Kurtz also stars.
The many executive producers for Living Proof include Oscar winner Renee Zellweger.
Living Proof will premiere in October 2008 on Lifetime Television as part of the Network's Stop Breast Cancer for Life campaign during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
