Leonardo DiCaprio Confirmed to Play J Edgar Hoover in Clint Eastwood's Biopic
Earlier this year it was reported that Leonardo DiCaprio was in talks to play J. Edgar Hoover in the Clint Eastwood directed biopic based on the life of the controversial head of the FBI. It's been confirmed that DiCaprio is now officially attached to the project!
J. Edgar Hoover is one of the most interesting characters ever to come out of America, and with Eastwood and DiCaprio leading the way, there's no doubt in my mind that this is going to be a superb film with Oscar nominations written all over it. It's going to be awesome to see how Eastwood directs DiCaprio, because Eastwood has a way of making great actors better.
The biopic was written by Dustin Lance Black (Milk), and production is scheduled to begin this year. The film is being produced by Imagine’s Brian Grazer and Eastwood’s Malpaso. Eastwood is currently finishing up post-production on his next film Hereafter, which stars Matt Damon.
Here a little historic run down of J. Edgar Hoover:
J. Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. (FBI) of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972. Hoover is credited with building the FBI into a large and efficient crime-fighting agency, and with instituting a number of modern innovations to police technology, such as a centralized fingerprint file and forensic laboratories.
Late in life, and after his death, Hoover became an increasingly controversial figure. His critics have accused him of exceeding the jurisdiction of the FBI. He used the FBI to harass political dissenters and activists, to amass secret files on political leaders, and to collect evidence using illegal methods. It is because of Hoover's long and controversial reign that FBI directors are now limited to 10-year terms.
What are your thoughts on DiCaprio taking on the role of J. Edgar Hoover?