Robert Forster to play Ronald Reagan in new touring play (which will be filmed as a movie)
Nikke Finke’s Deadline Hollywood has an interesting scoop up today — actor Robert Forster has been cast as President Ronald Reagan in a new one-man play called “The Lifeguard: Ronald Reagan and His Story”.
The play will tour the country and eventually producers will film it for theatrical release.
The Deadline article notes something similar was done with Harry Truman’s life story, with a play called “Give ‘Em Hell Harry” that went on to earn an Oscar nomination for the actor portraying Truman, once the play was filmed and released in theaters.
In other Deadline news today, the first images of Meryl Streep portraying Margaret Thatcher in the new biopic “The Iron Lady” have been released.
What do you think of Streep’s likeness as Thatcher…and what do you expect from this film?
Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher
© 2011, Kevin DuJan. All rights reserved.
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Unfortunately, I expect this film to portray a conservative woman as a terrible leader who should never be elected.
Forster is a good choice.
http://www.nndb.com/people/895/000092619/robert-forster-2-sized.jpg
I don’t know anything about his acting, but he sure does bear a striking resemblance to Reagan. Nothing worse than seeing an actor portray a famous person when they look nothing alike. I gag every time I hear someone say that Tina Fey looks “just like” Sarah Palin.
The excoriate Thatcher is what I’ve been told. Given Hollywood and anti-conservative venum I don’t expect anything less than an awful movie about Ronald Reagan. It will be like “W” was or the one about Nixon…or al the other anti-conservative haters that are the left and own Hollywood. Which is why my choice of movie selection has become so small.
Just look at the Avatar movie. They made it out to be some kind of second coming of Christ for all anti-military, pro-environment nutcases. It was filled with every liberal cliche known to man. It was HORRIBLE.
According to John Nolte over at Big Hollywood it will be a hatchet job.
http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2011/02/08/photo-meryl-streep-as-margaret-thatcher-in-upcoming-cinematic-hit-job/
I made a movie with Robert Forster…he’s a great choice. Wonderful actor and probably the nicest man I have met in all of my years in Hollywood. When our shoot was over, I wanted to give him the suit that he wore a lot in the film. Most actors take things without you even offering. He refused to take it and wanted to pay for it. I finally got him to take it, but reluctantly. He always had these big dinner parties and cooked pasta and great Italian sauce. Really love this man.
Meryl Streep is an amazing character actress. I loved her as Julia Child, and she was great in The Devil Wears Prada as well. She will do a wonderful job portraying Margaret Thatcher. I hope the movie is respectful and as accurate as can be expected from Hollywood. This is yet another example of the entertainment industry banking on an upcoming female presidency.
I question Meryl Streep’s loyalty to us Americans. In a couple of her movies she’s played the “political race card,” Meaning republicans are no good to her.
I’ve also thought of her as the best actor in movies. If I find she’s a liberal, she’s history and I’ll do everything to make sure no one gives her another penny of their money
Well, she’s a liberal.
She’s a terrific actress, too, but I’m tired of getting a fist to the mouth by these people when I just wanted to see a movie. I watched Julie and Julia, and thought she was wonderful in the role of Julia Childs. Then, in the middle of the McCarthy stuff, she was dissing Republicans.
Well, lady, STFU. I’m glad the movie was free on TV, because I don’t want to encourage you to make more movies that insult me by paying to rent them, or worse, paying full price at the box office.
Now, I have to research Julia Childs, and find out how much they lied about her to make their political point.
I read Julia Child’s “My Life in France”, and she was every bit as political as the movie portrayed, if not more so. She was a devoted Democrat. It bugged me that she kept harping on Republicans throughout the book, but overall it was interesting, and so was the movie. I guess I take it for granted that Hollywood is liberal, so it usually doesn’t offend or surprise me when certain themes appear in movies.
Interestingly, I think what bugged Julia Child most about Republicans in her time was the same milquetoast, cocktail party, staid attitudes that so many of us are revolting against now. She didn’t fit the mold. It was also a little bit of rebellion on her part – her conservative father was apparently rather cold and detached.
Do you remember how strange her parents were in the film?
There was a scene where they came to visit her in France with her sister. I don’t remember much, but just that her dad was so odd and the mother didn’t say much.
I assumed they were just playing Republicans as envisioned by Hollywood.
I vaguely remember it, but it’s been a while since I watched. I do remember she and her dad almost got into a political fight and her husband had to whisk her away to dance. Based on the book, that wasn’t exaggerated – Julia and her Dad butted heads over politics any chance they got, until her stepmother finally begged her to stop writing him due to his health. I believe the mother in the wedding scene was actually her stepmother. They all had a rather contentious relationship.
Thanks for that information. You saved me a bunch of research!
The woman who wrote the book on which Julie and Julia was based – who cooked her way through all of Childs’ recipes- also seems to be nasty and left-wing. There was one part where she tells of taking a dessert to work with her. On the way into the building she dropped it on the sidewalk. She picked it up and put it in the staff kitchen with a note that said “Please enjoy.” Then she went to the six Democrats who worked there and warned them not to eat it. Of all the puerile, vicious things to do, that’s quite high on the list. But oh, of course it’s Republicans who are so evil and unkind. She says so repeatedly throughout the book.
This is Meryl Streep’s press release: “I am trying to approach the role with as much zeal, fervour and attention to detail as the real Lady Thatcher possesses – I can only hope my stamina will begin to approach her own.”
Yeah, that’s it – the old bait-and-switch Leftist game. First, simper how you totally ADMIRE the character you’re playing – then sink the knife into their back up to the hilt. Trust me, this film is going to be a hatchet job. I’m not seeing it – if for no other reason than that I just don’t want a great woman’s blood splashed all over my hem.
Well said, Carolyn. I’ll not go with you.
I won’t see it unless someone I trust tells me it does not portray Lady Thatcher as a doddering old fool who “regrets” all she did, which is the way we heard the scenes were going 6 months ago. Bait and switch doesn’t work for me. My dad was fond of that old saying “Don’t piss on my leg and tell me it’s raining.” And Ronald Reagan’s “Trust but Verify” doesn’t work in Hollywood. You can’t trust them – Hell – they don’t even trust each other.
Thatcher is awesome, She is the best woman leader in world history.
She suffered sexism, she was the most powerful woman in the world in a legislator that was 5% female.
Thatcher loved America and the American dream was her vision for Britain. She would have gone so much further and been more Conservative if she was able to pass the laws.
I saw the Streep/Thatcher photo on Drudge this morning and I thought, wow, that’s remarkable. Look at that hair…it’s spot on…and the facial expression…completely right.
I have no idea how Lady Thatcher will be portrayed in this film, but the look is perfect.
Yup, that was my first thought too: she looks like the real thing. Creepy. I’m looking forward to hearing her do the accent though.
Guess I’ll see it and take it with a grain of salt. Hollywood rarely gets anything right, why start now?
They definitely got the hair right. When I first saw the photo on Althouse, I thought, “Wow, what a great picture of Margaret Thatcher. I’ve never seen that one.” Then I read the title and realized the awful truth. I’m actually not a big fan of Streep’s acting, though I’m sure she will do a competent job, but I really can’t see this as anything but Tina Fey x 10.
the same could be said about Barky playing (reading) TOTUS in 2008 and the Styrofoam pretending to be Greek Columns – look how that turned out?
I’ll stick to the real Margaret Thatcher in word and video
The hair is spot on perfect. The eyebrows also…and Streeps studied wide-eyed look is great too. The mouth should be a tad more pursed but Streeps vanity would probably not allow that look. It is a bit startling to see her looking so much like Maggie.
Streep has a history of researching characters and playing them true to life. I expect her performance to be brilliant. I expect the script to be a typical Hollywood hatchet job.
I agree with you. Actors always follow the direction of, well, the director and producers. They rarely have input about the script. Meryl is clearly the best actress of our time, and I expect nothing but excellence from her.
and I am sure it will be as accurate as today’s Washington Post claiming that today’s DEMs are the true heirs to Reagan’s legacy – sorry if you just spit out what you were eating /drinking – I did the same with cereal this morning when reading this:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/07/AR2011020704538.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
Someone’s got a ticket to hell with that version of the “truth”…
I have to pray Forster admires Reagan and insists on playing him with finess and care. We are not going to stand for that gentle and brilliant soul to be vilified beyond the grave. Nope.
It will be nothing less than a hit piece on Maggie Thatcher. What else could anyone expect?
The lady who has cut my hair for 30 years was asked to do Thatcher’s hair when she came to Florida some years back. She gave her an awesome, autographed photo and said that Maggie was incredibly kind and wonderful to her. Just a total class act!!!!
Can’t wait to see Streep as Thatcher! I know Meryl will do the Iron Lady justice.
Streep will do a good job as Thatcher, but i bet the movie will portray Thatcher quite poorly and as a bit of a villain. It’s a shame, those muslims over there in Britain wouldn’t be causing quite so much trouble if Thatcher was still in power, she wouldn’t put up with it.
A pox on Streep if she portrays dear Maggie as anything other than the wonderful person she is!