Jared Leto has been tapped to play Andy Warhol and produce a new film about the iconic pop culture artist who died in 1987 at the height of his fame.
Leto will play the title role in the movie “Warhol,” which will be based on Victor Bockris’ book, “Warhol: The Biography,” according to Entertainment Weekly. “Wolf of Wall Street” author Terence Winter will write the script for the film. Winter also was a writer on “Sopranos.”
Warhol was a legend in the 1980s for popularizing art and linking it to culture. He critiqued celebrity and consumerism but managed to become as popular as those he critiqued, both in and out of artistic circles.
Warhol had a somewhat wild lifestyle and lived like a celebrity, although he was also reportedly a hypochondriac.
Warhol was only 58 when he died of complications after having gall bladder surgery.
Several other movies about Warhol or containing his character have been made since his death, and notable actors who have played him include David Bowie, Crispin Glover, Bill Hader, and Guy Pearce.
Leto won an Oscar for his portrayal of transgender woman Rayon in "Dallas Buyers Club" in 2014. He recently played The Joker in "Suicide Squad" and also will also star in the upcoming “Blade Runner” sequel.
Leto is known for using method acting techniques to play his various characters, and is sure to have an interesting experience portraying the colorful and lively, at times wild, Andy Warhol.