Royle remake names its star

Producers of the American version of The Royle Family have announced one of their leading roles.

Broadway actress Marissa Jaret Winokur is to play the daughter in The Furst Family; the role taken by Caroline Aherne in the BBC original.

The 31-year-old New Yorker's screen credits include Scary Movie and American Beauty, and she won a Tony award for her starring role in the stage musical Hairspray.

The ABC sitcom is said to be "loosely based" on Aherne's original, and it unfolds as Winokur's 23-year-old character prepares to marry.

Published: 4 Mar 2004