CBS drama Cupertino, created by Robert and Michelle King, has added actor Nik Dodani as a series regular. The series already stars Mike Colter and features Rachel Keller, Renee Elise Goldsberry and Ella Stiller. The show centers on a legal battle in Silicon Valley where corporate power and technology intersect with individual livelihoods.
Dodani will play a programmer named Vik. The character brings a comic sensibility and a personal stake in a workplace dispute that leads him to seek legal representation. Producers say the addition underscores the series’ focus on workers challenging alleged abuses in the tech industry.
Premise and central conflict
Cupertino frames itself as a contemporary David vs. Goliath legal drama set in Silicon Valley. The series follows Michael, portrayed by Mike Colter, a lawyer who says he was denied stock options by a former employer. Michael teams with Olivia, an attorney who was recently dismissed from a tech company, to represent workers claiming exploitation by industry leaders. Producers describe the show as centering on courtroom strategy, corporate intrigue and the cultural tensions that accompany modern tech power dynamics.
Key characters and cast dynamics
The narrative emphasizes a lawyer-led challenge to corporate power. Michael serves as the series’ focal point in courtroom confrontations. Olivia provides a complementary perspective as a former in-house counsel turned advocate for employees.
Supporting roles are structured to reflect competing interests within the tech ecosystem. Some characters are portrayed as corporate executives and in-house lawyers who test the protagonists’ legal and ethical strategies. Others represent plaintiffs and rank-and-file workers whose testimonies drive several episodes.
Producers say the casting aims to balance legal procedure with the personal stakes of those involved. Screen time appears divided between trial scenes and behind-the-scenes negotiations. That balance is intended to illustrate how legal outcomes intersect with broader cultural and economic pressures in Silicon Valley.
That balance is intended to illustrate how legal outcomes intersect with broader cultural and economic pressures in Silicon Valley. The ensemble expands that theme through relationships that raise the story’s stakes.
Renee Elise Goldsberry plays Renee, an accomplished opposing counsel who shares both a professional and a romantic past with Michael. That history complicates legal strategy and heightens personal risk. Ella Stiller portrays Christy, a junior assistant at the newly formed Cupertino law firm at the story’s center. Their interactions create a network of alliances and tensions that move the narrative beyond standard courtroom scenes into workplace and personal drama.
Vik: the coder who seeks help
Continuing the narrative thread, Vik is presented as a coder whose humor and humanity reframes the series’ conflict with corporate power. He becomes a client of Michael and Olivia after his employer turns against him. The plotline links legal procedure to the tangible effects of tech workplace disputes. It highlights how litigation reverberates through employees’ daily lives and relationships.
Creative team and production roles
The series is led by creators Robert and Michelle King, who will write and serve as executive producers under King Size Productions. Robert King is set to direct the premiere. Liz Glotzer is credited as an executive producer. The Kings’ involvement signals a continued emphasis on tight scripting and character-driven legal drama, building on their previous high-profile work in the genre.
Nik Dodani’s background and recent work
Nik Dodani first attracted widespread attention for his breakout role in the Netflix series Atypical. He has since expanded his career across film, television and stage adaptations, taking on supporting and ensemble parts that emphasize comic timing and character nuance.
Recent film credits include the Max Original feature The Parenting, the Warner Bros. release Twisters, the independent romantic comedy Mark, Mary & Some Other People, and the screen adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen. On television, Dodani’s work spans series such as Trinkets and the CBS multi-camera sitcom Murphy Brown. His choices reflect a mix of mainstream studio projects and smaller, character-driven films.
Dodani is represented by Paradigm and the law firm Gang, Tyre, Ramer. His recent credits align with the article’s emphasis on tight scripting and character-driven drama, maintaining continuity with the project themes discussed previously.
Nik Dodani’s casting in Cupertino extends his presence in projects that blend humor with emotional weight. He plays Vik, a role that foregrounds workplace injustice within a dramatic framework while preserving the comic timing that has marked his earlier work. The part permits Dodani to navigate escalating legal stakes alongside personal stakes tied to employment and reputation.
What to expect from cupertino
Viewers should expect a mix of legal strategy and industry-specific pressure. The series will examine stock options, employment contracts, and the influence exerted by startups and their backers. Narrative emphasis appears split between courtroom procedure and intimate character moments, allowing both plot-driven and character-driven scenes to unfold.
With the Kings at the creative helm and a cast that spans dramatic and comedic backgrounds, Cupertino aims to probe the human costs of Silicon Valley’s expansion. The show positions legal recourse as a central mechanism for exploring how employees contest powerful tech interests, while also tracing the personal ramifications for those involved.
With the addition of Nik Dodani as a series regular, the show strengthens its ensemble while sharpening its focus on workplace accountability. His character, Vik, provides a personal and relatable lens into conflicts between employees and powerful corporate actors.
The casting choice supports the series’ strategy of pairing character-driven storytelling with topical legal questions. Scenes that center on Vik allow the narrative to examine both the practical legal tools available to those who challenge institutional behavior and the personal consequences for participants.