Andrea Anders, who has appeared on Broadway in Proof and The Graduate, will be part of the cast of "Joey," the much-in-the-news "Friends" spinoff.

Anders will be the neighbor and love interest for Joey, played by "Friends" star Matt LeBlanc. Zap2it.com reports that Anders replaces Ashley Scott, the actress who played the role in the pilot for the new series. The website also says that Anders’ character, named Alex, is a married lawyer who finds it difficult to relax.

Andrea Anders understudied the roles of Catherine and Claire in the Tony-winning play Proof, her Broadway debut. She also played the Assistant Desk Clerk and eventually the role of Elaine Robinson in the New York staging of The Graduate. On screen she has been seen in "Oz," "Tru Calling" and "The Stepford Wives."

"Joey" will make its NBC premiere Aug. 9. The cast also includes Drea De Matteo as Joey’s sister and Paulo Costanzo as Joey’s nephew. The sitcom concerns the life of Joey Tribbiani as he relocates to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career.