‘Cougar Town’ actor Josh Hopkins, who is known for his role as Courtney Cox’s love interest Grayson Ellis in the TBS series, has joined the cast of the James Brown biopic ‘Get On Up’ with director Tate Taylor (The Help). The biopic will tell the story of Brown’s impoverished upbringing before making it big on the music scene. Hopkins will play music producer Ralph Bass, a loyal and supportive friend of Brown’s at Federal Records. The biopic will feature 42’s Chadwick Boseman in the title role with Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Dan Aykroyd, Nelsan Ellis, Lennie James, Jill Scott, Craig Robinson and Nick Eversman, rounding out the cast ensemble. Universal and Imagine are producing the feature.

Taylor will direct ‘Get On Up’ from a script written by ‘Fair Game’ writers Jez and John-Henry Butterworth, and Steven Baigelman of ‘Feeling Minnesota’. Imagine’s Brian Grazer and Mick Jagger of Jagged Films are producing along with Victoria Pearman and Erica Huggins. Taylor is also producing through his banner Wyolah Films. Production on the Aug. 1, 2014 release is currently under way in Mississippi. Hopkins credits include the independent films ‘Kelly & Cal’, ‘A Bet’s a Bet’, Ridley Scott’s ‘G.I. Jane’ and ‘The Perfect Storm’.