Michelle Williams to Play Janis Joplin in Upcoming Biopic

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Michelle Williams is on board to play Janis Joplin in an upcoming biopic.

Michelle Williams is on board to play Janis Joplin in an upcoming biopic.

The 36-year-old actress told E! News that she scored the role of the late rock icon after reports surfaced last month that she was in talks to star in the Sean Durkin-directed film, Janis.

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Durkin's production is based on the 1992 biography, Love, Janis, which was penned by Janis' sister Laura Joplin. The book also served as the basis for a 1990s musical of the same name.

Considered the premiere female blues vocalist of the '60s, Joplin made a splash by joining the band Big Brother and the Holding Company in 1966. Their 1968 album, Cheap Thrills, was a huge hit, but Joplin's biggest album was her second solo project, Pearl, which was released posthumously in 1971.

Joplin died on Oct. 4, 1970, at age 27. Her death was determined to be caused by an accidental overdose.

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This wouldn't be the first time Williams has portrayed a historical character. In 2012, she was nominated for an Oscar for playing Marilyn Monroe in 2011's My Week With Marilyn.

Williams can next be seen in the acclaimed drama Manchester by the Sea, opening Friday.