Bunheads will be adding another member of the Foster family during its upcoming winter season. Hunter Foster, brother of series star Sutton Foster, is scheduled to recur on the ABC Family ballet dramedy, the network announced today. Beginning with the January 28th episode, he’ll be playing Scotty, Michelle’s nomadic older brother with whom she has a tight bond, in a recurring role; when the show returns for the rest of its first season, Michelle will be working for a small-time Nevada magician in the wake of quitting her job at the dance academy.
Although we’ve gotten hints about what Michelle’s life was like before marrying Hubbell and moving to California, this will be the first major glimpse into the Michelle that we haven’t met yet, the one who trained round-the-clock for the opportunity to dance and the one who once had a tremendous career at her fingertips. Michelle may be the heroine of the show and the one we’re meant to root for, but there have been times where her actions have been inexplicable – however, we know the toll that her career trajectory took on her and now, we might be able to piece together why things fell apart as they did.
Like his Tony-winning sister, Foster is a Broadway veteran, having garnered a Tony nomination himself for his role in Little Shop of Horrors and appearing in productions of Frankenstein, Urinetown, and The Producers. Beginning this spring, he can be seen in Hands on a Hardbody. Joining him in appearing on the Amy Sherman-Palladino creation are Liza Weil, Jeanine Mason, and Niko Pepaj.
The winter premiere of Bunheads airs Monday, January 7th at 9:00 on ABC Family, following the season premiere of Switched at Birth. You can check out a recap video focused on the romantic entanglements of the show here, as well as a review of the summer finale here.
Do you think that meeting her brother will give us more insight into pre-Paradise Michelle? Would you like to see other members of her family, including her neglectful mother? Are there any other Gilmore Girls alumni that you want to have pop up in Paradise?
