Rachel Hunter in new US TV show

Rachel Hunter has landed a top role in a new American TV show.

Hunter will play Shawna Rollins – a former "spokesmodel" and life coach with a penchant for dating much younger men - in the comic drama Gravity.

The show will go into production in New York later this month and will be broadcast on American Pay TV provider Starz Media. The show will also be sold internationally.The cast of Gravity have been contracted for an initial 10-episode series. Appearing alongside Hunter are Ivan Sergei (Charmed and The Break-Up), Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction and Day of the Dead), Robyn Cohen (The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou) and Seth Numrich (How to Kill a Mockingbird).

Hunter last month made a fleeting return to New Zealand, promoting her clothing line which is sold through the Warehouse chain.

The quick-fire visit came three months after she was dumped via email by ice hockey star Jarret Stoll, just over a month before their planned wedding.

Meanwhile, Hunter's latest movie project has premiered in the US. She stars in the cooking mockumentary, Jordan Saffron – Taste This!

The film, directed and produced by Sergio Myers, is based on the fictional character of Jordan Saffron, an egotistical reality show chef who suddenly loses his taste and everything around him – his girlfriend (played by Hunter), TV contract, restaurant, and partner.

Travelling back home to Chicago, he faces his fears, then reawakens to love and to taste again. Myers said: "There is no written script, but as the director I am able to get more out of my actors performances by merely describing in detail the emotion of the character in the particular scene and then letting the actor go."