Nickelodeon taps Tony Cavalero from The Groundlings to lead “School of Rock” TV series adaptation

Congrats to Groundlings main company member Tony Cavalero, who will star in the upcoming TV adaptation of School of Rock for Nickelodeon.

“I am so honored to be part of the rad legacy that is School of Rock,” Cavalero said. “Jack Black is one of my biggest comedy influences and I am ready to shred!”

Cavalero will be stepping into the role of Dewey Finn, the downtrodden rocker who finds new hope by posing as a substitute teacher at a musical prep school, as played by Black in the 2003 film. The TV series, from Paramount Television, has a 13-episode order, and will be written by showrunners Jim and Steve Armogida, with the original film’s director Richard Linklater and producer Scott Rudin also executive-producing.

You may have seen Cavalero on YouTube or Vine. More likely, though, you’ve spotted him in an AT&T commercial this year, or in guest-starring roles on Modern Family, 2 Broke Girls, Hart of Dixie and Adam Devine’s House Party. He’s also in the webseries Aim High 2 (for Crackle) The Single Life (for Glamour) and Robin Banks and the Bank Roberts (for WB/Maker). Onstage, he’s a founding member of the longform improvisational group Robert Downey Jr. Jr.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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