Exclusive: Gretchen Mol Cops Top Life on Mars Role

• Jul 29, 2008 10:40 PM ET
• by Matt Mitovich

They've cast all the guys, now let's bring on some gals. (After all, shooting on the revamped pilot starts in a week!) Gretchen Mol has joined the cast of ABC's Life on Mars adaptation, playing the lead female role of Annie Norris.

When Jason O'Mara's modern-day detective, Sam Tyler, is transported to 1973, Annie is a member of the Police Women's Bureau, making do with menial tasks and combating the sexism of the times, despite being the smartest person in the squad room. Annie's battle for equality on the force will one day pave the way for Sam's contemporary love, Maya Daniels, to herself become a police officer.

In the BBC's original Life on Mars, Annie was played by Liz White.

Mol's credits include Rounders (opposite Matt Damon), Sweet and Lowdown and, most recently on TV, The Memory Keeper's Daughter. - Matt Mitovich

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