Lindsay Lohan channels Elizabeth Taylor in first official 'Liz & Dick' photo

Lindsay Lohan and Grant Bowler posed for their first photo as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton for their Lifetime Original movie, "Liz & Dick."

In the photo, Bowler is shown kissing Lohan's neck. The Lifetime Original Movie will be based on the story of Taylor's torrid romance with actor Richard Burton and started principal photography in Los Angeles on Monday, June 4 . It is slated for release later this year.

According to TMZ, Lohan had her hair cut and dyed to l! ook like Taylor's and will wear violet contacts for the role.

It was announced on April 24 that Bowler had been cast as Richard Burton. Executive Producer Larry A. Thompson said that Grant and Lohan's "chemistry erupted in the room" during the actor's reading.

Bowler, who is best known for his role as a werewolf on "True Blood," has also appeared on ABC's "Ugly Betty" as Vanessa Williams' love interest and recently had a stint on ABC's recently canceled series, "GCB."

The 43-year-old actor is from New Zealand and is 18 years older than 25-year-old Lohan. Burton and Taylor were seven years apart in age.

Following months of speculation, it was confirmed that Lohan would take on the role of Taylor on April 23.

Taylor and Burton met in Italy on the set of the 1963 film "Cleopatra." At the time, Burton had been married to Sybil Williams since 1949 and Taylor had been married to Eddie Fisher since 1959. The couple divorced their spouses and married for the first time in 1964. The two divorced in 1974, but remarried in 1975 before calling it quits again in 1976. Burton died in 1984.

Taylor died of congestive heart failure at age 79 on March 23, 2011. She was laid to rest a day later at a private memorial service at Forest Lawn Cemetery near Los Angeles. Taylor became as famous for her love affairs as she was for her movie roles in films like "Cleopatra" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?" She was married eight times to seve! n husban ds.

"I have always admired and had enormous respect for Elizabeth Taylor. She was not only an incredible actress but an amazing woman as well. I am very honored to have been asked to play this role," Lohan said in a statement.

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