NBC's 'Undercovers': Jessica Parker Kennedy says J.J. Abrams is 'a gem to work with'

Jessica Parker Kennedy is a familiar face to fans of "Smallville" and the short-lived MTV series "Kaya," but we expect that after "Undercovers" premieres on NBC this fall, she'll become a household name. The hype for the J.J. Abrams-helmed drama has already begun, and we've pegged "Undercovers" as NBC's strongest move toward cleaning up its prime-time mess.

Zap2it chatted with Kennedy at the NBC Upfront presentation in NYC, where she was celebrating the new series' pickup. "Undercovers" stars Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as husband and wife who meet while working as spies in the CIA. "They decide to retire and start a catering company," Kennedy tells us. "But they, of course, get thrust back into the CIA world and the spy world."

Kennedy plays Lizzy, the younger sister of Mbatha-Raw's character, who is unaware of her family's involvement in the CIA. "I hold down the fort while they're off on their adventures," Kennedy says.

The "Undercovers" pilot is J.J. Abrams' first since "Lost." In addition to co-writing it with Josh Reims of "Brothers & Sisters," Abrams both produced and directed it. Kennedy says that working with Abrams has been a fantastic experience. "J.J.'s incredible. I mean, he's really sort of a genius of film and T.V. He's an incredible person. He pays so much attention to detail and he's just a gem to work with."



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