Lindsay Lohan a casting risk
28 Apr After the public's initial shock over the casting of rehabilitated actress Lindsay Lohan as Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor has subsided, it seems that the producer behind the new biopic of the Queen of Hollywood is experiencing a shock of his own, having admitted that his decision to cast Lohan is a big risk, according to Entertainment Wise.
The movie, titled "Liz And Dick", is a made for television feature, and will be aired on the Lifetime channel. Lohan was confirmed for the role recently, on 23 April, but producer Larry Thompson now revealed that they have a Plan B, and that he is prepared for the possible problems Lohan could cause.
According to Thompson, "Lindsay Lohan may be the most insured actress that ever walked on a soundstage for this movie. We've tried to anticipate a lot of things - we hope none of them happen."
For example, the production will be filmed in Los Angeles rather than Canada to minimise the risks.
However the producer stood by his casting decision, contending that, the troubled actress would be perfect for the role as "We think she understands the role, we think she lives it. I know when she talks to me about it, she goes, 'Oh my gosh, I understand exactly what was going on. I know what she was thinking'. I think that's an added value that she as an actress brings to our project that we might not otherwise get."
Thompson felt so strongly about the 26-year-old actress that she was not asked to audition or screen test for the role.
He said, "I've had the conversation with my wife, who worries about it, and I worry about it. But you know, as a producer we take risks and if you want to make magic, that's the world Lindsay Lohan lives in, that's the world Elizabeth Taylor lives in."
"Liz And Dick" is a biopic about the British-American actress Elizabeth Taylor and her well-known relationship with her "Cleopatra" co-star Richard Burton, even appearing together in 11 films. Taylor's other notable roles i! nclude " Giant" (1956), "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1958) and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1966).