Mary Lynn Rajskub and Tanya Tagaq have joined the cast of North of North, a forthcoming comedy co-commissioned by CBC and Netflix in association with APTN.
Created by Stacey Aglok MacDonald (Qanurli, The Grizzlies) and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Angry Inuk, The Grizzlies), North of North officially began production today in Nunavut.
In North of North, "a young Inuk mother wants to build a new future for herself, but it won’t be easy in her small Arctic town where everyone knows your business," per a logline from the streamer.
Comedian and actress Rajskub is best known for portraying Chloe O'Brian in action thriller series 24, and recurring character Gail the Snail in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Tagaq, the award-winning Inuk throat singer and author, recently made her acting debut in True Detective: Night Country.
The cast of North of North also includes the previously announced Anna Lambe and Keira Cooper, alongside Maika Harper (Law and Order: Toronto, Burden of Truth), Braeden Clarke (Little Bird, Outlander), Jay Ryan (It: Chapter Two, Mary Kills People), Kelly William (Portraits from a Fire, Motherland), Zorga Qaunaq and Doreen Simmonds (True Detective: Night Country).
"We've already survived a blizzard during prep, so there’s no doubt our amazing cast and crew is ready to shoot a show in the Arctic," creators MacDonald and Arnaquq-Baril share in a statement. "Also, a huge nakurmiik to our community of Iqaluit for being so welcoming — we couldn't do this show without your support!"
Directors for North of North include Anya Adams, Danis Goulet (Night Raiders), Zoe Leigh Hopkins (Little Bird), Lisa Jackson (Wilfred Buck), Renuka Jeyapalan (Kim's Convenience) and Aleysa Young (Baroness Von Sketch Show).
Creators MacDonald and Arnaquq-Baril will also executive produce alongside Adams, Miranda de Pencier (Anne with an E, Beginners, The Grizzlies), Susan Coyne (Mozart in the Jungle, Daisy Jones & The Six) and Garry Campbell (The Kids in the Hall, Less Than Kind).
Tagaq recently announced a new children's book. Rajskub published personal essay collection Fame-ish: My Life at the Edge of Stardom in 2022.