Jared Leto to Play Hugh Hefner in Upcoming Biopic
The 'Blade Runner 2049' star will portray the legendary publisher in a film about his life.
Exciting casting news!
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Oscar winner Jared Leto will star in an upcoming biopic about the late Hugh Hefner, directed by Brett Ratner.
"Jared is an old friend," Ratner told THR. "When he heard I got the rights to Hef's story, he told me, 'I want to play him. I want to understand him.' And I really believe Jared can do it. He's one of the great actors of today."
The movie is in development at Ratner's production company, RatPac Entertainment, and he's been set on the project since 2007. At that time, Robert Downey Jr. had been attached to play the Playboy founder.
As a director, Ratner is known for the Rush Hour movies, starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. He's also produced films like The Revenant, starring another Oscar winner, Leonardo DiCaprio.
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Ratner also confirmed that Leto and Hefner had never met, but he's confident in his star's ability to portray the cultural icon. "There's enough footage on Hef out there that Jared will be able to get as much information as he wants," he said.
Hefner died on Sept. 27 at the age of 91. For more on his life and legacy, watch the video below.