John Lithgow Set To Play Fox News Chief Roger Ailes in Upcoming Movie
It looks like John Lithgow has landed another great role for him to take on. According to Variety, he is set to play Roger Ailes in an upcoming film about Fox news. Ailes was the Fox News chief who "masterfully exploited the country’s political divisions to rise to the top of the cable news heap." The film will tell the story about the sexual harassment scandal that ended his career.
Lithgow joins the previously cast Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, and Charlize Theron. The film is said to focus on "a group of female employees who bucked the culture of sexism at the network to oust the news baron from power." Kidman will take on the role of Gretchen Carlson, "the Fox News anchor who sued Ailes for harassment in July 2016", and Charlize Theron will portray Megyn Kelly, "a star at the network whose decision to go public with her own story of abuse was seen as a key turning point." The report said that Robbie’s character will be a "fictional Fox News associate producer."
Ailes was fired from Fox News shortly after Carlson’s suit and after several more women came forward with similar allegations of sexual misconduct. He died about a year later at the age of 77.
The film was written by Charles Randolph (The Big Short) and will be directed by Jay Roach (Trumbo). Lithgow is going to be great in this role.