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It's official. Lindsay Lohan will portray iconic movie star-activist Elizabeth Taylor in Liz & Dick, a biography that recalls her fabled love affair and marriage to actor Richard Burton for cable network Lifetime.
The rumored casting of Lohan as the beloved screen star, who became an early and incredibly devoted AIDS activist, has been a contentious subject for fans of Taylor, as is the title of the film. Taylor famously hated being called "Liz," even once suggesting the epitaph on her tombstone read: "Here lies Elizabeth. She hated being called Liz. But she lived."
There are some similarities between the two women, as both began careers as child actors and their tumultuous personal lives made both women fixtures in tabloids. Taylor's legendary exploits, which resulted in her being condemned by the Vatican for "erotic vagrancy," never obscured her gifts as an actress and even at the height of her notoriety she remained one of the world's top box office stars. However, apart from solid work in light comedies such asFreaky Friday and Mean Girls, Lohan has yet to demonstrate the range of talent that helped net Taylor two Academy Awards as best actress. In recent years Lohan is best known for posing for Playboy, multiple arrests, and janitorial duties at a Los Angeles morgue.
Naturally she is excited to again be part of such a high-profile project. “I have always admired and had enormous respect for Elizabeth Taylor," Lohan says in a statement. "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.”
Rob Sharenow, Lifetime's Executive Vice President of Programming, issued a statement saying, “We are thrilled Lindsay will portray beloved Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor. She is one of the rare actresses who possesses the talent, beauty and intrigue to capture the spirit of such a provocative icon.”
Still, there is some potential that the film, the first Taylor biopic made since her death in 2011, will have some merit. Christopher Monger, acclaimed for his work on HBO's award-winning bio Temple Grandin, has been confirmed to write the screenplay. The film's director has yet to be announced.
