Some call him method acting obsessed others love his unhinged brand of acting, Jared Leto will soon be adding character this time a real person to his endless list. Leto is set to star as Pop art pioneer Andy Warhol in a new biopic.
The Oscar winning actor recently followed the likes of Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger playing The Joker in the much criticised Suicide Squad. It was a role that was a mighty task for the actor, one many said he never delivered on in his usual eccentric way.
The film will be based (or used as a starting point) on Warhol: The Biography, Victor Bockris’ 1989 book which will be based on a screenplay by Boardwalk Empire and Vinyl creator Terence Winter. Jared Leto bought the rights to the book and will co-produce next to Michael De Luca (The Social Network and Captain Phillips).
Andy Warhol is one of the ever changing but experimental 1960’s popular culture. He created the Pop Art which help elevate American consumerism which led to everyone from Marilyn Monroe, Coca Cola cans to Campbell’s Soup cans coming the must have pieces of art.
Warhol also became an influential figure on the New York Scene and his famous Factory Club where the then High Society would rub shoulders. Warhol was openly gay in the era when been homosexual was an criminal offence (or even accepted) in many countries including USA and UK. He was also a hypochondriac which many friends referred to him as been ‘cold and shallow to the centre of attention. In 1968 he was an victim of murder when he was nearly shot.
He will also be remembered as been the manager of the icon art rock group The Velvet Underground lead by Lou Reed which saw him coin the ’15 Minute of fame’ phrase.Between 1960’s and 1970’s Warhol was also a film director creating many experimental films.In his latter years he became a leading figure in Studio 54 as well as a mentor to many new artists before his death in 1987.
With Dallas Buyers Club whilst a fantastic performance from Leto, the actor did receive a lot criticism from the LGBT Community a straight man playing a Transgender woman.The role won him an Oscar and despite his recent outspoken words about the struggle for gay actors in Hollywood, you can expect more criticism to come his way.
No word on the exact time frame for this film but we will see the actor play in next year’s Blade Runner 2, possibly the Justice League film as The Joker.
Source: THR
