Ray Romano is gearing up for Season 2 of Running Points, where he will star in a recurring role opposite Kate Hudson on the Netflix basketball comedy.
Character played by Romano
The Emmy Award winner plays Norm Stinson, a basketball whiz who retreats from the public eye and eventually teams up with franchise president Ira Gordon (Hudson) to rediscover his love of the game and life. Romano steps into the part after reacquainting himself with the character. Robert Townsend was originally cast as the team’s coach, but producers are currently reshooting the film to reflect the change.
Deadline reported the news, noting that Romano’s Stinson is a socially withdrawn hoop-mind who teams up with Ira, and that reshoots are currently underway to accommodate the recalibrated character.
What does the recast signal indicate?
Norm Stinson is not a stock lieutenant. He is introduced as an elite strategist whose sharpness has been dulled by his exile, and who develops a relationship of mentor and ally with Aira. For a show built on front-office politics and family pressures, the addition of a coach with both genius and baggage gives Season 2 a new axis of tension and a fresh comedic foil for Hudson.
Townsend’s original casting was replaced by Romano after the creative team reworked the role, suggesting season 2 leans more towards the “scholar-turned-recluse” angle. With cameras rolling again for targeted pickups, it is expected that Stinson’s introduction will be folded into the existing seasonal framework rather than a complete overhaul of Page 1.
Ensemble & Creatives
The lineup for Season 2 continues to build, with the return of Brenda Song, Drew Tarver, Scott MacArthur, Fabrizio Guido, Chet Hanks, Toby Sandeman, Jay Ellis, Max Greenfield, and Kyra Monterroso Mejia, with Roberto Sanchez and Dane Diriegro also joining. Uche Agada and Justin Theroux have been promoted from regulars to series regulars, joining Hudson and Romano at the top of the call sheet.
Behind the scenes, Mindy Kaling, Ike Barinholtz and showrunner David Stassen will write and executive produce, with Hudson, Howard Klein, Jeanie Buss and Linda Rambis also serving as executive producers.
Running Point was renewed shortly after its debut in February, and filming for season 2 began in August. There is no release date yet.
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