Ciaran Hinds, the Belfast-born actor behind the Oscar-winning short film The Shore, has been unveiled as one of the stars of an upcoming six-part miniseries on the USA Network titled Political Animals.

The new show casts Hinds as Bud Hammond, the former president of the United States who was adored by the public while in office. Political Animals will focus on his relationship with his wife Elaine, played by Sigourney Weaver, after the pair has divorced and she now holds the position of Secretary of State after a failed presidential bid of her own. The show is an apparent mirroring of the real life political dramas of the Clinton family.

While Political Animals is currently only scheduled for six episodes, it is said it could turn into a regular series on the USA Network if ratings are solid.

Playing a former president would appear no problem for the accomplished Hinds, who received high marks for his performance in The Shore where he played Joe, a Northern Irishman who left his home country during the Troubles. Journeying back home 25 years later, Joe brings his daughter along and seeks out his boyhood best friend.

Political Animals is scheduled to sometime this summer, and Ciaran Hinds can currently be seen in the movie John Carter.