Titanic aside, Leonardo DiCaprio has a reputation for choosing challenging parts. And it looks as though his latest role will be the toughest yet for the 26-year-old actor. Leo is set to play the title role in Johnny Eck, a film about a Thirties actor who was born with the lower half of his body missing, and who got about by walking on his hands. Leo is also to play his identical twin brother Robert, who became the manager of “the half-boy”, as Johnny was known.
“This is a great love story between two brothers, where the one who seems normal is the one who has all the troubles,” said Caroline Thompson, the Edward Scissorhands screenwriter who has signed up for Johnny Eck. “It’s not that different from Tom Hanks playing Forrest Gump, an unlikely hero people immediately felt comfortable with.
“Within minutes you’ll get the past the idea of Leo playing the role of Johnny...Leonardo has a sweetness about him, and if you remember his performance in Gilbert Grape, he’s got the acting ability.”
“I have always been drawn to stories about outsiders,” continues Caroline, “people who suffer infirmities, either physical or mental. Robert, who became the manager, very much wanted to be a magician and never made it. Johnny wanted to be a train conductor - he didn’t want to be in a position where people stared at him.”
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
