Hot off winning an Emmy for her supporting turn inOzark,Julia Garneris in early talks to play infamous New York con artistAnna DelveyinShonda Rhimesfirst series for Netflix, Collider has exclusively learned.
Sources caution that Garner does not have an official deal in place, and a representative for Netflix did not confirm or otherwise comment on the casting news.
Netflix and Shondaland jointly acquired the rights toJessica Pressler’sNew York Magazine article"How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People" last summer, with Rhimes attached to write the limited series. It is expected to be Rhimes' first Netflix project since she signed a lucrative multi-year deal with the streaming service in August 2017.
Delvey, aka Anna Sorokin, posed as a wealthy German heiress to gain access to New York’s high society, which enabled her to con numerous people and financial institutions into funding her glamorous lifestyle. She lived in boutique hotels, dined at expensive restaurants, and wore designer clothes, but the truth is that she was a poor Russian immigrant who falsified bank records and never intended to pay her substantial bills. After turning down a plea deal that would’ve carried a sentence of 3-9 years, she took her chances at trial and was sentenced to 4-12 years in prison, where she has already been disciplined 30 times. Looking back, Sorokin has said she is “not sorry,” and would “probably” do it all over again, as she has no regrets. “I’m not a good person,” she toldthe New York Times. Sorokin is likely to be deported to Germany following her release from prison.
Garner plays the ruthless Ruth Langmore onOzarkand just last week signed a first-look deal with the show’s producer, MRC, that will allow her to develop and executive produce TV projects. Meanwhile,Ozarkis currently in production on its third season. Garner is a veteran of the small screen, with credits ranging fromThe AmericansandDirty JohntoManiacandWaco. She currently appears in Amazon’s new anthology seriesModern Love.
Garner will soon be seen inKitty Green’s timely dramaThe Assistant, in which she plays the assistant to a high-powered Hollywood executive inspired byHarvey Weinstein. That film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and still doesn’t have distribution yet. She’s represented by UTA and Anonymous Content, and representatives for the actress did not respond to multiple requests for comment. It’s still early on the Anna Delvey front, so stay tuned to Collider to see if her deal makes.
