Felicity Huffman Lands First Acting Job Since Serving Prison Time for College Admissions Scandal

Emmy award-winning actress Fecility Huffman has landed her first acting role since being released from prison.

The “Desperate Housewives” actress will return to ABC to co-star in a comedy series about a minor league baseball team in California. The currently untitled project, written by Becky Hartman Edwards, will also star The Peanut Butter Falcon‘s Zack Gottsagen.

Huffman has been heavily scouted for TV series and pilots since completing her prison sentence for her role in last year’s college admissions scandal. The actress has a long-standing history with ABC, starring in leading roles in the comedy Sports Night, dramedy Desperate Housewives, and drama series American Crime. Each of the roles earned her major award nominations, with Huffman winning an Emmy for Desperate Housewives.

The idea for the series was inspired by Susan Savage, real-life owner of the Triple-A baseball team the Sacramento River Cats. The half-hour episodes are being described as humorous, and sometimes heartbreaking, with themes ranging from baseball to family and loss.

Huffman will play a widow who inherits her late husband’s minor league baseball team. Her eldest son, played by Gottsagen, is an avid baseball fan with Down’s syndrome. Together, they will work through their family’s grief, and learn to navigate the sports industry.

In 1999, a group led by Art Savage purchased a team called the Vancouver Canadians, moving them to West Sacramento and renaming them the River Cats. When Savage died in November of 2009, his widow became the majority owner of the team. Ultimately, Susan Savage led the franchise to victory, and in 2016 the River Cats were declared to be the minor league’s most valuable franchise with an estimated worth of $49 million. 

ABC has reported the show was pitched to Huffman by Aaron Kaplan, CEO of Kaplan Entertainment. Kaplan is the executive producer of the network’s hit series A Million Little Things.

Huffman served 11 days of her 14-day prison sentence in October of 2019 for paying an admissions consultant $15,000 to have a proctor correct her daughter’s SAT answers. She also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. In addition to her sentence, she received one year of probation and was ordered to complete 250 hours of community service, as well as to pay a $30,000 fine.

Fellow actress Lori Loughlin, best known for her role as Aunt Becky on Full House and the Netflix spin-off Fuller House, is currently serving a two-month sentence for her involvement in the scandal.

Are you surprised to see Huffman back on ABC? Let us know whether you’ll be tuning in to her latest project when it premieres!