Plan B Forum

In the midst of recruiting an all-star ensemble for his long-gestating passion project "The Butler," director Lee Daniels has tapped Jane Fonda to play Nancy Reagan.

Based on a Washington Post report by Wil Haygood, pic follows Eugene Allen, the White House butler whose career started with Harry Truman in 1952 and ended in 1986 with Ronald Reagan.

Forest Whitaker is closing a deal to play Allen, while Oprah Winfrey remains in talks to play his wife. David Oyelowo is in negotiations to play Allen's son, while Liam Neeson and John Cusack are circling presidential supporting roles as Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon, respectively. Fonda will appear in a handful of scenes as the first lady of the United States.

Daniels, who is directing from a script he co-wrote with Danny Strong, is in the process of finalizing financing for the pic, which has no distributor onboard yet. Pamela Williams will produce through Laura Ziskin Prods. along with Hilary Shor.

Though no cast deals are in place yet, producers are eyeing a summer start date.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118051917

Joe Guy wrote:Oh the humanity!

How could someone in hollywood be allowed to play the part of someone who has differing political views than the person she is portraying?

We all know very well for example that every actor that ever played Hitler believed in everything Hitler did.

This is a terrible thing & should not be allowed!!

Gob wrote:I wonder if Jane Fonda will do her own stunts?

Scooter wrote:Like what? Zipping up an evening gown? Holding a lobster fork?

Scooter wrote:Like what? Zipping up an evening gown? Holding a lobster fork?

Gob wrote:

Well every time I see her on TV she seems to be falling arse over tit!

Gob wrote:I wonder if Jane Fonda will do her own stunts?

Joe Guy wrote:Oh the humanity!

How could someone in hollywood be allowed to play the part of someone who has differing political views than the person she is portraying?
.. "

Lord Jim wrote:I read about this several months ago and chose not to post about it...

First of all, it should be noted that she's not playing Nancy Reagan in The Ronnie and Nancy Story (she's way too long in the tooth for that) she's playing a relatively small role in a movie that covers more than 30 years in the White House...

When the story first came out, I recall seeing a quote from Mrs. Reagan, where she herself did not object...(Nancy Reagan, the former Nancy Davis, used to be an actress herself; and despite their political differences, she and her husband were good friends with Jane's father, Henry )

If Mrs. Reagan doesn't object, than who am I to object?Personally, I'll stand by my position that Miss Fonda reached the pinnacle of her skills as an "actress" in Barbarella, and it's been all down hill from there....