Michael Shanks Cast In College Admissions Scandal Movie

Stargate SG-1‘s Michael Shanks has snagged another high profile project — adding to his current winning streak.

Shanks (“Daniel Jackson”) has been cast in Lifetime’s aptly-titled The College Admissions Scandal, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The television movie will pull from the recent headlines of rich and famous families buying their children’s entry into top-tier colleges.

Celebrities including Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, along with nearly 50 other wealthy or famous individuals, were busted in the FBI’s “Operation Varsity Blues” — a spring 2019 raid that targeted the extensive illegal bribery scheme.

Shanks will play William “Rick” Singer, the man at the center of the criminal operation who facilitated backdoor entry to prestigious universities like U.S.C., Yale, and Georgetown … for a hefty fee.

Singer is a real-life figure who in March pleaded guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, money laundering, tax conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. He took in a reported $25 million to help wealthy families get their kids into the schools of their choice.

Singer’s sentencing is scheduled for September.

Penelope Ann Miller (The Artist) and Mia Kirshner (Star Trek: Discovery) have also been cast as leads in the project. They will play a pair of wealthy mothers obsessed with getting their children into top schools. (Loughlin and Huffman reportedly will not be portrayed in the film.)

Lifetime has wasted no time in turning this real-life controversy into primetime entertainment. The network green-lit The College Admissions Scandal back in July, following a series of guilty pleas in the federal case. The project is currently on track for an October 12 premiere on the U.S. cable network.

Shanks has been busy as of late, booking a role in the second season of Netflix’s Altered Carbon. He is also set to appear in the streaming giant’s romantic drama Virgin River, along with SG-1 co-star Lexa Doig (“Carolyn Lam”). Principal photography for that project wrapped in March in Vancouver, British Columbia.

You can hear about all this and more in GateWorld’s recent video update on Shanks’ career.

Keep your browser locked to GateWorld for more info on the actor’s upcoming projects and all things Stargate!