LAMORNE MORRIS, ABBY ELLIOTT, MICHAEL STRASSNER, AND JOEY BICICCHI CAST IN CASEY TWENTER’S INDIE DRAMEDY ‘THE SWIMMING LESSON’
(Lamorne Morris/Ari Michelson, Abby Elliott/Sarah Davis, Michael Strassner/Luke Fontana, Joey Bicicchi/Paul Archuleta)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — July 15, 2026, Los Angeles, CA — Lamorne Morris (Spider-Noir, Fargo), Abby Elliott (The Bear, SNL), Michael Strassner (The Baltimorons), and Joey Bicicchi (Rudderless) have been cast in The Swimming Lesson, an indie dramedy from filmmaker Casey Twenter. They will join Heidi Gardner (Saturday Night Live) and William H. Macy (Shameless) in Kansas City this August when production begins.
The Swimming Lesson follows Tay (Gardner), a directionless single mother who returns to her childhood home after her life in Los Angeles unravels. She soon finds herself locked in a custody battle over her son, Albee, an autistic child who’s obsessed with the ocean, but deathly afraid of swimming.
Morris is set to play Caleb, a charmingly quirky swim instructor who takes Albee under his wing. Elliott will play Vickie, the quietly determined new wife of Tay's ex who arrives hoping to build a family. Strassner is set to play Tay's oldest friend Reiger, a burnout who might actually have life figured out more than anyone. Bicicchi will play Albee's father Steve, newly sober and fighting his way back into his son's life. Rounding out the cast is newcomer Hudson Escudero as Albee, marking the young actor’s feature film debut. Casting an autistic actor reflects the production's commitment to grounding Albee's story in lived experience, while keeping the film centered on his complicated family.
"From top to bottom, this is a murderers’ row of talent,” says Twenter. “This is a deeply personal story, and I’m beyond grateful that these actors have chosen to tell it alongside me. Their excitement for the material has been energizing from the start, and it has only strengthened my own belief in what we’re making.”
Making his solo directorial feature debut, Twenter helms the project from a script he co-wrote with Jeff Robison. Twenter and Robison previously co-wrote the 2014 drama Rudderless, which marked Macy’s directorial debut and landed distribution after premiering at Sundance.
Keith Kjarval (upcoming The Beast with Samuel L. Jackson, and The Smack with Casey Affleck) is producing through his Unified Pictures label. He joins producers Dan Koetting for KP’s Remain, and Robison for Kindling Productions, along with Jen Greenstreet and Mandi Kearns for Just Like You Films. Mark Williams serves as director of photography, with Mateo Messina composing the music. Spark Casting’s Stefanie Seifer and Hailey Giles are handling casting.
Emmy® award–winning actor, comedian, producer, and podcast host Lamorne Morris currently stars opposite Nicolas Cage in Amazon’s Marvel series Spider-Noir, joining the MCU as ‘The Daily Bugle’ journalist Robbie Robertson. Morris most recently earned an AAFCA TV Award for Best Supporting Actor for the standout performance. Up next, Morris will star as the new voice of Garfield in a 2-D animated series from Paramount+ and will also be seen in the highly anticipated Jumanji: Open World. Previously, Morris headlined Sony’s Saturday Night as original SNL cast member Garrett Morris, and stole scenes in Season 5 of FX’s Fargo as Deputy Witt Farr – a performance that earned him the 2024 Emmy® award for "Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series," with the show also drawing Emmy®, Golden Globe®, and Critics Choice® nominations. Morris is beloved for his role as Winston on Fox’s New Girl, and additional screen credits include Ghosts, Unstable, Hulu’s Woke (two Black Reel nominations), and films such as Game Night, Bloodshot, Yesterday, and Death Of A Telemarketer (which he also exec produced; ABFF Fan Favorite). Morris is also the host of The Lamorning After podcast, which he co-hosts with Kyle Shevrin, as well as the New Girl rewatch podcast with former castmate Hannah Simone.
Golden Globe® nominee and SAG-AFTRA Actor Awards® winner Abby Elliott stars opposite Jeremy Allen White as his sister “Sugar” in Chris Storer’s Emmy® award-winning FX series The Bear. Most recently, Elliott starred alongside Sarah Snook and Dakota Fanning in the limited series, All Her Fault, now streaming on Peacock. Elliott was the first second-generation cast member on Saturday Night Live, following in the footsteps of her father, actor and comedian Chris Elliott. On the feature side, Elliott is currently shooting The Kellys alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and Liam Hemsworth for Amazon MGM. She also recently wrapped the independent feature Diary Of A Muslim Cynic and Purgatory alongside John Reynolds and JK Simmons.
Michael Strassner starred in and co-wrote his feature film debut, The Baltimorons, with director Jay Duplass. The romantic comedy won the Audience Award at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival, was nominated for the “John Cassavetes Award” at the Independent Spirit Awards, and placed in the “10 Best Independent Films of 2025” for the National Board of Review. The film was released theatrically by IFC on September 12th, 2025. Strassner recently wrapped his lead role in the independent feature Tuesday New York, and can be seen in The Musical opposite Rob Lowe and Gillian Jacobs which premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. Strassner has also appeared in numerous television series including, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, Life In Pieces, Black-Ish, Young Rock, and more. Most recently, he appeared in the FX comedy series English Teacher. He also wrote, directed, and starred in the award winning short film Big Boy. His comedy has garnered 80+ million views across TikTok and Instagram (@Strasshola) for his finely tuned comedic timing and effortless charm.
Joey Bicicchi, known for his extensive work in independent film, next stars in the forthcoming features People Not Places opposite Shirley MacLaine and Heavenly Wickedness alongside Abigail Cowen. He also wrote, directed, and edited Woozy, winner of Best Picture at the 2026 Los Angeles IFS Film Festival, starring Emile Hirsch.
Hudson Escudero will star as Ephraim in Joseph of Egypt, opposite Adam Hashmi, Alexander Siddig, and Alexa Mansour. It is expected to release in 2027 for Amazon MGM and 5&2 Studios. He was also cast in the upcoming Untitled Onyx/Hulu series. The Swimming Lesson marks his feature film debut.
Morris is repped by CAA, Entertainment 360, and The Lede Company. Elliott is repped by Paradigm Talent Agency and OPE Partners. Strassner is repped by Paradigm Talent Agency and Stride Management. Bicicchi is repped by Luber Roklin Entertainment. Escudero is repped by The Osbrink Agency, Rebel Creative Group, and Campbell Agency.
