Claire Danes plays the lead role in the Netflix series ‘Lovesick’ by Sarah Treem
In a very competitive situation, Netflix has landed Sarah Treem’s drama ‘Lovesick’, starring Claire Danes.
Variety has learned that Netflix has given a straight-to-series order to the project, which is based on the Israeli series “The Best Worst Thing.” Treem will serve as writer, executive producer and showrunner. In addition to starring, Danes will also executive produce. Keshet Studios’ Avi Nir and Keren Shahar are also producing alongside Peter Traugott. Traugott was previously the head of Keshet Studios, but left earlier this year to become president of TV during the fifth season. Universal Television and Keshet Studios will produce.
The official logline for “Lovesick” describes it as a romantic epic “that follows the intense affair between two people whose lives are unexpectedly intertwined. Annika (Danes), a renowned breast cancer surgeon, has just received her own cancer diagnosis. Her new patient, Nate, is a promising politician. The series explores their intertwined lives, delving into themes of love, sex, illness, death, family, children, health, medicine and the meaning of life – all while Annika simultaneously receives treatment for undergoing breast cancer.”
The role will keep Danes in business with Netflix, as she starred opposite Matthew Rhys in the 2025 limited series “The Beast in Me” on the streamer. That show earned Danes a Golden Globe nomination, with the show also receiving a nod for best limited series.
Danes won two of her three Emmy Awards for “Homeland” and received five nominations for Best Actress in a Drama Series overall for the show. “Homeland” was also based on an Israeli format. Danes won her other Emmy for the HBO film “Temple Grandin.” She also won her three Golden Globes for ‘Homeland’ and ‘Temple Grandin’. She was nominated for the Emmy and Golden Globe for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series for the FX drama “Fleishman Is in Trouble.” Her film credits include ‘The Hours’, ‘Shopgirl’ and ‘Romeo + Juliet’.
She is repped by WME, Signpost Management and Ziffren Brittenham.
“I’m thrilled to be telling this story with the genius Claire Danes. We’ve been looking for something to do together for a long time and this character, Annika, is perhaps a mix of both of our wildest dreams,” said Treem. “To be able to tell a story about all the things that keep me up at night – life, death, children, love, middle age, courage, science and faith – is an extraordinary opportunity that I do not take lightly in these turbulent times. We are very grateful to Netflix for this important commitment and we can’t wait to get started.”
Treem is best known for co-creating the critically acclaimed Showtime series “The Affair” with Hagai Levi. The show aired for five seasons between 2014 and 2019 and starred Dominic West, Ruth Wilson, Maura Tierney, Joshua Jackson and Julia Goldani Telles. The show won the Golden Globe for Best Drama Series in 2015. Treem has also worked on shows like ‘In Treatment’ (another Israeli format) and ‘House of Cards’, the latter of which was also a Netflix show. Next up, Treem is the writer, EP and showrunner of the FX limited series “Cry Wolf.”
She is represented by CAA and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
“The Best Worst Thing” was created by Rona Tamir, Tal Granit and Sharon Maymon for Keshet 12. The series aired in 2024 and starred Ayelet Zurer and Amos Tamam.
