It's "Lights Out" for actress Melora Hardin

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Melora Hardin, who plays Michael Scott's above bang-up and ex-girlfriend on "The Office," is affective to cable, landing the changeable advance adverse Holt McCallany on the FX ball pilot "Lights Out."

Elias Koteas and Kevin Conway additionally accept been broke as leads on the pilot.

Penned by Justin Zackham, "Lights Out" centers on Patrick "Lights Out" Leary (McCallany), an crumbling above heavyweight battle champion who struggles to acquisition his appearance and abutment his wife (Hardin), a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, and three daughters afterwards his angry canicule are over.

That leads him to booty a job as a leg-breaker, accession on contributed bank debts. Afterwards actuality diagnosed with pugilistic dementia (a neurological disorder that affects boxers who accept assorted assault to the head), he aims for one added big payday, while he's still able, to abutment himself and his family.

Conway will comedy Lights' ancestor and above trainer, a widower who still runs a gym. Koteas will comedy Lights' adolescence acquaintance who is his manager/business partner.

On "The Office," Hardin plays Jan Levinson, ancient bang-up and adherent of Steve Carell's character. She was aftermost apparent in the October 16 "Baby Shower" episode, in which she brought her bairn babyish to the Dunder Mifflin office, creating astriction amid her, Michael and his new love, Holly (Amy Ryan).

Hardin won't arise on the show's actual episodes this season, on which she is still formally a regular. She is accepted to bedfellow brilliant in one or added episodes abutting season.

Hardin co-stars in the April affected releases "Hannah Montana: The Movie" and "17 Again." She additionally has a alternating role as Adrian Monk's (Tony Shalhoub) asleep wife on "Monk."

Koteas was afresh apparent in "The Haunting in Connecticut" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Conway's alternation credits accommodate "The Black Donnellys," "The Bronx Is Burning" and "Oz."

(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)