HBO has today unveiled the first teaser for White House Plumbers, the upcoming political drama miniseries starring Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux. It’s set to be sworn in to HBO March 2023.
Based on the 2007 book Integrity: Good People, Bad Choices, and Life Lessons from the White House by Egil Krogh and Matthew Krogh, White House Plumbers tells the story of E. Howard Hunt (Harrelson) and G. Gordon Liddy (Theroux), the two masterminds behind the Watergate scandal who accidentally sabotaged Richard Nixon’s presidency despite their futile attempts to protect his reputation.
The trailer opens as Hunt and Liddy have a meeting with Nixon’s counsel John Dean (Domhnall Gleeson), who gives the pair a seemingly simple assignment: “Your new mission is to make sure he wins this election,” he says. “Sabotage, espionage, infiltration. Bare-knuckle tactics. The same shit they do to us every election.”
“They” is, of course, in reference to the Democratic National Committee. And in case it’s been a while since you took a US History class: Hunt and Liddy were instrumental in leading the Nixon administration’s infamous 1972 break-in of the DNC headquarters at the Watergate Office Building. As the handlers of the five convicted burglars, their actions ultimately led to Nixon’s resignation. So while we all know by now how this story ends, White House Plumbers shows us how it began.
The miniseries also stars Lena Headey, Judy Greer, Ike Barinholtz, Kiernan Shipka, and Kathleen Turner. Watch the White House Plumbers teaser below.
Last year, Harrelson also made a guest appearance in the 11th season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Theroux voiced the male lead in Disney+’s 2019 remake of Lady and the Tramp.