Danny McBride’s HBO ‘Vice Principals’ Adds ‘Justified’’s Walton Goggins, Shea Whigham

The upcoming end of FX’s ‘Justified’ will loose a tremendous amount of talent to the TV market, and HBO isn’t wasting time picking up one of the show’s biggest assets. Walton Goggins has joined the cast of Danny McBride’s ‘Eastbound & Down’ followup ‘Vice Principals,’ also adding ‘Agent Carter’’s Shea Whigham to a cast that’s rounding out nicely.

Already ordered to series for an impressive 18 episodes, McBride’s ‘Vice Principals’ follows a high school and the people who “almost” run it, with McBride starring as Neal Gamby, the divorced vice principal in charge of discipline at the school. Goggins, meanwhile will play Lee Russell, vice principal of curriculum at Lincoln High, who himself acts a conniving politician that enters into an unholy alliance with Gamby.

Whigham meanwhile takes the more supporting role of Ray Liptrapp, the new husband of Gamby’s ex-wife Gale (‘Cougar Town’’s Busy Philipps), and often the subject of Neal’s hostility, despite Ray’s affable nature. Whigham is perhaps best known to HBO fans for his role in ‘Boardwalk Empire’ as Eli Thompson, also previously appearing in a supporting ‘True Detective’ role.

Despite lacking a formal release plan, ‘Vice Principals’ will feature McBride executive producing alongside Jody Hill, co-creator David Gordon Green and Stephanie Laing, all ‘Eastbound’ alum. With Shea Whigham and Walton Goggins now on their side, ‘Vice Principals’ may yet prove one to watch.