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After months of negotiations, Lifetime has signed Lindsay Lohan to portray Elizabeth Taylor in Liz & Dick. The biopic chronicling the enduring love of movie icons Taylor and Richard Burton, whose fiery romance was the most notorious, publicized and celebrated love affair of its day. The news comes on the heels of Lohan completing her court-mandated community service and quickly returning to her partying ways. The latter — especially tabloid reports of fights allegedly involving Lohan — raised questions whether Lifetime would proceed with the actress, whose career had been largely sidelined for the past couple of years by stints in rehab, jail, court rooms, and the recent house arrest/community service. Lohan returned to acting last month with a hosting stint on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, which drew big ratings. Lifetime brass obviously took notice. Here is the network’s release:
RELATED: Lindsay Lohan In Talks To Play Elizabeth Taylor In Lifetime Movie
Los Angeles, CA (April 23, 2012) – Lindsay Lohan is set to star as the legendary Elizabeth Taylor in the Lifetime Original Movie Liz & Dick, based on the true story of the screen icon’s historic romance with actor Richard Burton. Principal photography on the movie will begin in early June in Los Angeles, it was announced today by Rob Sharenow, Executive Vice President, Programming, of Lifetime Networks.
For nearly a quarter of a century, Taylor and Burton were Hollywood royalty and their fiery romance — often called “the marriage of the century” — was the most notorious, publicized and celebrated love affair of its day. Swarmed by paparazzi, Taylor and Burton’s love affair was played out entirely in front of the global press from the time they met on the set of the major motion picture Cleopatra, left their respective spouses, married and divorced, only to remarry and divorce once again. Despite their roller coaster romance for the public eye to see, Taylor and Burton shared an undeniable love greater than most people could have ever dreamed.
Regarding the announcement, Lohan said, “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.”
“We are thrilled Lindsay will portray beloved Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor,” added Sharenow. “She is one of the rare actresses who possesses the talent, beauty and intrigue to capture the spirit of such a provocative icon.”
Liz & Dick will be produced by Larry A. Thompson Productions, Inc. Larry A. Thompson (Amish Grace, Lucy & Desi) will serve as executive producer, with Christopher Monger (Temple Grandin) writing.
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Lifetime is already getting a payoff in all the free publicity this casting is generating. If the deal doesn’t fall through, they will get some ratings boost from what would probably have been a mediocre biopic.
I was ready to rant on the casting of Lohan until I read this is for a Lifetime Original Movie. I mean…who cares? She was cast solely because the network believes the controversial actor will generate big ratings, not for her acting ability.
…and yes Elizabeth Taylor is most definitely rolling in her grave.
I met Liz years ago and she was absolutely extraordinary. Lindsay isn’t in the same league. I am really surprised that Lifetime would gamble the dollars to watch the Lindsay Lohan train-wreck. Can she even get insured?
Barely anyone has mentioned the other burning question: who on earth can play Richard Burton with any degree of plausibility? An impersonation is one thing but no-one – and I mean no-one – has that voice. The project will sink or swim on the chemistry of its stars. Burton and Taylor had it. Who else? I suspect no-one.
Get real people, this is Lifetime after all, not HBO not PBS not AMC… so the kicker will be who they get to play Burton …
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Please stop comparing her to Robert Downey Jr. He was a hard core straight up drug addict while Lohan is a club girl who gets caught making bad decisions. She’s an addict, not an alcoholic, shes someone who’s gotten being stupid. Shes in her early 20s so it’s to be expected but the rehab stints are 100% PR.
This is stunt casting.
Haha hilarious
Amen. Poor Elizabeth Taylor. She doesn’t deserve this.
On the other hand I actually want to see how bad it will be. But who will play other roles? They will begin shooting in a month and they STILL don’t have other actors? Who will play Dick?
She’ll be great. This should keep her focused.
I’m interested in who else Lifetime will be casting in the other roles. I won’t be watching, not a Lohan fan of her acting. I just see a former child actress who didn’t transition very well into adult roles. She has done how many good roles since becoming an adult? Instead of all the public shenanigans, she should have gone back to acting classes and a voice coach. Please don’t compare her to Robert Downey Jr., different story and different levels of talent.
Elizabeth Taylor hated being called “Liz Taylor”, much less “Liz.” I despise all of this first name familiarity, bred by E! and TMZ. And, yes, I do refer to the other one as “Lohan”.
Those of us a little older can recall that Liz Taylor was not taken seriously as an actress until the end of the fifties, at least fifteen years after her start in movies. She was also notoriously foul-mouthed and a heavy drinker, only outclassed by the colossal drinking of Richard Burton. Taylor went into rehab admitting she was an alcoholic and drug addict. She was also a “homewrecker” damned by the public in the split of Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. By the end of the sixties, Liz and Dick were so often in the press (supermarket tabloids featuring them every week)that the public was sick of them, and every film they starred in (together or separate) from the late 60′s through the 70′s bombed at the box office. It took many years for Taylor to regain public tolerance of her and a receding of the derision that would instantly surface at the sound of her name. In portraying her, Lohan is miscast both physically and vocally, but publicly she is perfectly appropriate, if one considers the true history of Liz Taylor and not the ignorant nostalgia.
Again, she hated “Liz” – you’re not so much “in-the-know”.
Also, your “assessment” is WAY off.
You are referring to five time Oscar nominated, two time Oscar winning ELIZABETH TAYLOR aren’t you? The Elizabeth Taylor of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof? The Elizabeth Taylor that was injured on the set of National Velvet and suffered with lifelong back problems and battled addiction to pain killers from something that WASN’T her fault? The Elizabeth Taylor that worked her butt off from a child and knew her craft? The beautiful Elizabeth Taylor that was larger than life in all ways? The Elizabeth Taylor that recognized her substance abuse and GOT help for it?
You do realize the difference is that Elizabeth Taylor was a serious actor that had many troubles. There’s a difference between a troubled person struggling to find peace in life and a kid that just wants to party and throw her life away. Lindsay seems like a spoiled brat that thinks she can do what she wants when she wants. Elizabeth Taylor was Oscar winning, professional actress that battled many demons. Unfortunately for her the tabloids got in her personal life and exploited it because they could sell papers. Elizabeth Taylor is NOTHING like Lindsay Lohan.
Joey C., as I wrote, Elizabeth Taylor was not considered a serious actress until the end of the fifties. Those five Oscar nominations and wins were all from the late fifties and later. Taylor also was plagued with scandal involving the breakup of both Eddie Fisher and Richard Burton’s marriages. She was considered a homewrecker who could get any man she wanted, and greedy and spoiled for her desire for jewelry and other possessions. Burton was making bad movies just for the money in order to keep her in luxury. I have no dislike for her, but I am realistic, and not given to falling into the nostalgia trap. And I think Lohan was a fine child actress, but it may take her as long as it did Taylor to be taken seriously as an adult actress.
Elizabeth Taylor was no great actor.
Elizabeth Taylor looked great on camera. Big difference.
A youthful Elizabeth Taylor was one of the most beautiful women of all time. Are they going to cgi Lohan’s face?
there was a girl some years ago on a soap that would be perfect.. even Miz Liz saw the connection..timw will tell…hope she can capture her Heart
If Lohan is playing Taylor, let’s follow it up with the rest of the cast along the same lines shall we?
ELIZABETH TAYLOR: LINDSAY LOHAN
RICHARD BURTON: MICKEY ROURKE
MIKE TODD: MIKE (THE SITUATION) SORRENTINO
SEN. JOHN WARNER: GARY BUSEY
CONRAD HILTON: PARIS HILTON
EDDIE FISHER: CARRIE FISHER
L.B. MAYER: MEL GIBSON
ROCK HUDSON: CHAD LOWE
LARRY FORTENSKY: DAVID HASSELHOFF
At Lifetime, the hits just keep comin’!
Hollywood values are terrible. An average person with an average job would have served more jail time, lost respect and most probably their job. If Lindsey were the least bit grateful or humbled,.. but the poor behavior continues.
She is killing herself. It’s like watching a train crash in slow motion.
I thought this project was going to be a major motion picture. Not some fly by night cable network. And since the movie is going to be on LIFETIME, how in the world are they going to incorporate Valerie Bertinelli’s appearance and her demanding that she get her children back from an Evil Father/brother/man/gay brother/male baby/anything with a penis (just insert here, doesn’t matter)? It just won’t work. Liz only had four children between Eight husbands but none of them kidnapped her children. Regardless, here’s the LIFETIME Network Promo: Next week on LIFETIME, Lindsay Lohan stars as Elizabeth Taylor in “Conrad Hilton Jr, Michael Wilding, Michael Todd, Eddie Fisher, Richard Burton, Richard Burton (yes, twice), John Warner, Larry Fortensky, I WANT MY KIDS BACK!! (based on a true story!) Nope, I don’t buy it. And how in the heck are they going to unplump Lindsay’s duck lips for the role?
Come on people give her a chance, she just may pull it off. Robert Downey Jr. got a second chance. I do believe she can doit.