First Look: Leonardo DiCaprio As J. Edgar Hoover In 'J. Edgar'
[No photo]
Here's your first look at Leonardo DiCaprio in the role of Leonardo DiCaprio...er, J. Edgar Hoover, in Clint Eastwood's upcoming J. Edgar. The film started to shoot this week in LA, based on a script by Dustin Lance Black, and a few photos were shot of the lead actor. There's another shot after the break, as well as a couple of comments from Armie Hammer about how making this film will allow him to live out the fantasies of every teen girl from 1997.
Recapping J. Edgar really fast, we don't know the exact plot, but a lot can be extrapolated from the characters that appear. In addition to Mr. DiCaprio as the first and defining director of the FBI, we've got Naomi Watts as as Helen Gandy, the longtime secretary to Hoover; Ed Westwick as Agent Smith, a clean-cut operative hired by Hoover to write his biography; Josh Lucas is famed aviator Charles Lindbergh; Damon Herriman is Bruno Hauptmann, accused of kidnapping Lindbergh's 20-month baby in 1932. whose trial was a big point in Hoover's early career and, presumably in the film as well; and Ken Howard is U.S. attorney General Harlan F. Stone.
Oh, and Armie Hammer is playing Clyde Tolson, who was not only Hoover's second-in-command and frequent vacation companion, but reportedly his lover as well. You might have wondered if the two actors will make out on screen. Armie Hammer says yes:
It's not a kissing scene—it's a ton of kissing scenes... I'm so excited to work with Clint, and from what I hear, he's not the type of director who has a ton of rehearsals and takes. I think we're just sort of thrown in there and have to make it happen.
Guess that puts to rest any question about how the Hoover/Tolson relationship will appear onscreen. (Unless he was joking.)
[No photo]