CBS’ Cupertino Hints at Busy Philipps’ Acting Comeback Following Surgery
The official trailer for CBS’ Cupertino has just released, giving fans their first glimpse of the legal drama led by Busy Philipps, who takes on an unexpected role after overcoming recent health challenges.
CBS’ sneak peek on Wednesday, September 9, showcases “a tenacious lawyer confronting a dominant tech giant in a high-stakes courtroom showdown, maneuvering through the ruthless landscape of Silicon Valley while advocating for justice and the rights of everyday people,” as stated in the official synopsis.
Mike Colter and Rachel Keller headline the cast as their characters bounce back after being dismissed from their tech jobs, launching their own firm to support those taking on Silicon Valley’s influential corporations.
Philipps, at 47, features prominently as Natalia. According to a previously released character description, Natalia is portrayed as “the stunning and refreshingly candid ex-wife of an AI billionaire, who divorced her upon her turning forty. Now seeking revenge, Natalia agrees to fund Michael and Olivia’s new law firm to target his and other AI companies.”
“We are the disrupters now,” Natalia declares in one clip. In another scene from the trailer, she is seen casually retrieving a gun from her purse.
Cupertino, set to premiere on October 8, also stars Ella Stiller, Nik Dodani, and Renée Elise Goldsberry, with guest appearances from Stephen Kunken, Fisher Stevens, and Stephen Pasquale.
Following the completion of season 1, Philipps shared that she underwent surgery in early March — just weeks before she began filming Cupertino.
“I’m grateful that I’m alive,” Philipps expressed to People last month, describing the preceding months as “the strangest six months of my life.”
She attributed the detection of a grade 2 oligodendroglioma, a rare slow-growing tumor, to a Prenuvo full-body scan. Philipps underwent surgery where doctors successfully removed a 2.6-centimeter mass from her brain.
“It is classified as malignant, but it has the most favorable prognosis among malignant gliomas,” Dr. Alexandra Miller, Philipps’ neuro-oncologist, informed People. “It’s classified as a cancerous tumor due to its potential to regrow over time, rather than its appearance under a microscope.”
Philipps recounted additional hurdles when she developed a staphylococcus infection at her incision site, necessitating a second surgery for wound debridement. Since then, the actress has taken to social media to express her gratitude for the overwhelming support she has received.
“Everyone (mostly) has been incredibly kind in the last 24 hours, so thank you immensely for your well wishes, love, prayers, and support,” she wrote on Instagram in August. “But just to clarify, because the internet loves clickbait [stories], I AM ALREADY RECOVERED! You all have witnessed my recovery since March 2; you just weren’t aware of it! I AM TOTALLY FINE! YAY MEDICINE!”
Cupertino is set to debut on CBS Thursday, October 10, at 10 p.m. ET and will be available for streaming the following day on Paramount+.
