Joaquin Phoenix
is an actor once again. After his “retirement” from the business was
revealed to be a hoax last week. Phoenix is attached to
star in the foot-fetish dramedy Big Shoe by Steven Stainberg and is expected to be offered a
role opposite Jennifer Garner in Peter Hedges The Odd
Life of Timothy Green. Today Vulture
is reporting that Clint Eastwood
is interested in having Phoenix star as J. Edgar Hoover’s gay lover and protégé,
Clyde Tolson, in his upcoming biopic, Hoover.
Leonardo DiCaprio has been attached to star as Hoover and it looks
like an offer will be made to Phoenix once a deal is finalized with
DiCaprio.
Vulture
tells us that Hoover and Tolson had a very complicated relationship. Both
men never admitted that they were a gay couple and Hoover was “known for
hunting down and intimidating those who dared questioned his sexual preference
while he was alive.” Tolson eventually inherited Hoover’s estate, moved
into his house, accepted the U.S flag at Hoover’s funeral, and was the sole
beneficiary of Hoover’s life-insurance policy. Until this day, both men’s
graves are only a few yards away from each other at the Congressional Cemetery.
Screenwriter Dustin Lance Black [Milk] wrote the screenplay for the film, and it
seems that Hoover’s and Tolson’s relationship will be a primary focus in the
film. It’s also safe to assume that this will probably be Eastwood’s next
project.
