Keep your eyes peeled for Oscar-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe in The Big C, a new Showtime series where she plays a student who acts like she knows it all. Sidibe had the leading role in the movie: Precious, which was based on the novel Push by Sapphire.

The Big C by Showtime is a half–hour comedy series created and written by Darlene Hunt. Gabourey Sidibe’s The Big C role is in the pilot episode, which was directed and produced by Bill Condon, who also directed Dreamgirls. Sidibe later signed on with Showtime for a continuing role on The Big C.

The sarcastic comedy series features Laura Linney as Cathy Jamison, among other actors like Oliver Platt who will play Cathy’s husband, Paul Jamison. The series is based on Cathy’s role as a Minneapolis suburban high school teacher, wife, and mother who is reclaiming her life after being diagnosed with melanoma. Gabourey Sidibe’s The Big C role sees the actress playing Andrea Jackson, a student in Cathy’s class. Other cast members include John Benjamin Hickey as Cathy’s brother Sean Tolkey, Gabriel Basso and Cathy and Paul’s son Adam Jamison, and Phyllis Somerville as Cathy’s neighbor Marlene.

The show will shoot 13 episodes in May and will premiere sometime in August 2010, with the last episode airing towards the end of the year.

Watch Showtime’s The Big C trailer below.