Ken Jeong and Deborah S. Craig will star in the CBS comedy pilot, The Emperor of Malibu. Jeong will play Gerry, a Chinese billionaire who is shocked to find out that his son, Auggie, has been secretly dating an American (Kate), for two years and is now engaged. Gerry decides to move his whole family to Los Angeles in hopes of persuading his son to re-think his engagement.
Deborah S. Craig, who is known for her work in NBC’s The Blacklist, will also join the cast playing the role of Shiatzy, Jeong’s wife. She is described as “a terrifying force of nature…sophisticated, a little eccentric and strong-willed.” Shiatzy is upset that Auggie has chosen his wife without her help and tries her best to keep Kate away from Auggie.
The Emperor of Malibu is written by Kevin Kwan (author of Crazy Rich Asians trilogy) and David Sangalli.