From Billions to Homeland, British actor Damian Lewis has proven himself to be an adept American on TV. Up next he'll have to give a Canadian accent a go, and not just any Canadian accent — Lewis is set to take on the role of notorious Toronto mayor Rob Ford.
The film is called Run This Town, and The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Lewis will play Ford. In an interview with Kit Magazine from the set of the film, Lewis was being fitted with a prosthetic to assume the role of the famously rotund politician.
In addition to Lewis, Run This Town will star Ben Platt, Nina Dobrev and Mena Massoud.
Though it's unclear whether or not they're based on real-life figures, Platt's casting is particularly irksome as he's set to play a journalist that uncovered a scandal surrounding Ford.
Robyn Doolittle, the real-life journalist who was at the forefront of investigating Ford's scandalous time in office, has criticized the film for rewriting her role as a male journalist:
UPDATE (04/10, 3:30 p.m.): Ben Platt has responded to the criticism of his role with a new statement. You can read it below.
The film is called Run This Town, and The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Lewis will play Ford. In an interview with Kit Magazine from the set of the film, Lewis was being fitted with a prosthetic to assume the role of the famously rotund politician.
In addition to Lewis, Run This Town will star Ben Platt, Nina Dobrev and Mena Massoud.
Though it's unclear whether or not they're based on real-life figures, Platt's casting is particularly irksome as he's set to play a journalist that uncovered a scandal surrounding Ford.
Robyn Doolittle, the real-life journalist who was at the forefront of investigating Ford's scandalous time in office, has criticized the film for rewriting her role as a male journalist:
I'm glad they're rewriting the fact that it was a female reporter who investigated Rob Ford. Why have a woman be a lead character when a man could do it? Ammaright? https://t.co/Nx3holhuZW
— robyndoolittle (@robyndoolittle) April 10, 2018
UPDATE (04/10, 3:30 p.m.): Ben Platt has responded to the criticism of his role with a new statement. You can read it below.
— Ben Platt (@BenSPLATT) April 10, 2018
