Brandon Flynn as Justin Foley in 13 Reasons Why / Netflix
13 Reasons Why star Brandon Flynn has been cast as James Dean in a new biopic about the ’50s Hollywood heartthrob.
The film, Willie & Jimmy Dean, is based on the autobiography of Dean’s late roommate William Bast, who alleged that he had a secret gay relationship with the star at the height of his fame.
Bast met Dean when the latter was aged 19 and remained firm friends with him until his untimely death in a car crash in 1955, aged 24.
“This is not a traditional biopic,” director Guy Guido told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s a tender and sometimes tragic story about two young men who found each other in a time and place where being seen – truly seen – came at a cost.
“Brandon Flynn brings both the fire and vulnerability this role demands. I couldn’t imagine anyone more perfect to explore and play out the complexities of James Dean.”
Flynn, 31, added: “James Dean is like the known unknown. His short life left behind just three films, a mountain of photographs and a cultural mythology we keep trying to decode.
“This script is a beautiful attempt at truthfully understanding who he really was — not just the icon, but the man.
“It highlights how Hollywood has historically forced LGBTQ people into performance, even in their personal lives. This story dares to present James Dean as a man with real, complex relationships, and I think there’s power in that truth.”
Casting for the role of Bast, and his “glamorous” mother Bernice, remains underway.
