I'm Dying Up Here: Comedy turns dramatic in new trailer

Comedy is a tough business, which is probably why Showtime’s new series is called I’m Dying Up Here. But that doesn’t stop dreamers from crowding the mic for their chance to be a hit. In the new trailer, which sees Melissa Leo leading a troupe of stand-up comics, the network shows off its extensive cast — from Captain America: Civil War star Sebastian Stan to Power Rangers‘ RJ Cyler to Girls and Obvious Child heartthrob Jake Lacy.

In the hourlong drama series, Leo plays Goldie, a comedy club owner in 1970s Los Angeles who’s tough but nurturing when it comes to her group of competitive comedians. “All that excitement, blood, tears, and excruciating pain — all of it for a measly 15 minutes,” Stan says in the footage. Until someone makes it on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, that is.

The cast, a mixture of both comedians and actors known more for dramas, also includes Clark Duke (Hot Tub Time Machine), Andrew Santino (Mixology), Erik Griffin (Workaholics), Al Madrigal (The Daily Show), Stephen Guarino (Happy Endings), Brianne Howey (Horrible Bosses 2), Jon Daly (Kroll Show), Ginger Gonzaga (Togetherness), Dylan Baker (The Good Wife), Robert Forster (Jackie Brown), Cathy Moriarty (Raging Bull), and Alfred Molina (Chocolat).

I’m Dying Up Here is executive-produced by Jim Carrey, Michael Aguilar, Christina Wayne, and series creator Dave Flebotte.

As Flebotte previously told EW, those actors less familiar with the stand-up circuit “would go and do open mics” in preparation. “I know Ari Graynor did it. Michael [Angarano] did it,” he recalled. “RJ Cyler, he did open mic quite a bit. He’s the guy that came in pretty raw and just had natural instincts and got better and better. RJ just took off.”

The series premieres Sunday, June 4 at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime. Watch the new trailer above.