Desiree Akhavan’s ‘The Bisexual’ Rounds Out Its Cast

English actress Maxine Peake and Brian Gleeson (Phantom Thread) have joined the cast of The Bisexual, a new British comedy-drama coming to the UK’s Channel 4. The six-part series created by and starring Desiree Akhavan has been long-awaited, taking a backseat to her directing the now Sundance Jury-prize winning film about a lesbian teen sent to conversion therapy, The Miseducation of Cameron Post.

In The Bisexual, Akhavan will plays Leila, a New Yorker who moves to London after ending a 10-year relationship with her girlfriend and business partner Sadie (Peake). It’s worth noting that Akhavan created a web series, The Slope, with her ex Ingrid Jungermann (Women Who Kill) before directing/writing/starring in her first feature, Appropriate Behavior. Both The Slope and Appropriate Behavior were slightly biographical, with Akhavan’s bisexuality a part of the narrative in both.

“I’m thrilled? Or am I excited? Maybe I’m both but at the least very happy to be part of The Bisexual,” Peake said in a statement. “Desiree is a really fresh, original and exciting voice and dead cool to boot. It’s fun, heart-breaking and thought-provoking and I get to ride a scooter, what’s not to like?’

After her breakup, Leila moves out of her shared apartment and rents a room from Gabe (Gleeson), a phobic novelist plagued by the success of his first novel, which was released over a decade ago. She develops an unlikely camaraderie with Gabe, who aids in pulling her out of a rut. In return, she exposes him to queer culture, which is eye-opening for the sheltered writer. Other castmates include Eva Birthistle, John Dagliesh, Naomi Acki, Niamh Algar, Saskia Chana, and Michelle Guillot.

Filming is currently underway forThe Bisexual, which isproduced by Hulu, so hopefully will hit the shores of the U.S. soon.

Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb