Andy Garcia has been tapped to star opposite Kenan Thompson in NBC’s single-camera comedy pilot The Kenan Show (fka Saving Kenan), from Universal TV. This marks Oscar nominee Garcia’s first TV series regular role.

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Written by Jackie Clarke and directed by Chris Rock, The Kenan Show centers on a newly widowed dad (Thompson) determined to be everything for his kids while begrudgingly letting his persistent father-in-law, Percy (Garcia), a retired police officer, become more involved in their lives.

Thompson, Clarke and Rock executive produce with Lorne Michaels and Andrew Singer for Broadway Video.

This is a rare TV acting gig for Garcia whose biggest series commitment to date had been an arc on HBO’s Ballers. He received two Emmy nominations for the HBO film For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story.

In features, Garcia appeared in Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Book Club, The Mule and Bent last year. This spring, he will begin production on Brian Petsos’ film Big Gold Brick and will star in Words on Bathroom Walls directed by Thor Freudenthal. He also will be seen in Amazon’s anthology series Modern Romance. Garcia is repped by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.