Diego Luna Joins Harvey Milk
Filed under: Drama, Gay & Lesbian, Casting, Politics
The cinematic Harvey Milk has got himself another lover. Entertainment Weekly has reported that Diego Luna, the Mexican actor famous for his role in Y Tu Mama Tambien, has joined Gus Van Sant's upcoming biopic, Milk. He will play Jack Lira, a supporter of Milk and also his lover. We've already got Sean Penn as Milk, the first openly-gay city supervisor of San Francisco, Josh Brolin as Milk's assassin, Dan White, Emile Hirsch as gay rights activist Cleve Jones, James Franco as another lover and campaign manager Scott Smith, and further cast played by Victor Garber (Alias), Denis O'Hare (The Anniversary Party), and Stephen Spinella (24).I have to say, I agree with Christopher Campbell's previous coverage of the film. Penn being bright and cheery? I'm not so sure. Hopefully, however, he'll surprise us, because there's a heck of an interesting group of actors attached to this movie. The film is said to focus on Milk's story as the third openly-gay elected official in America (in 1977), and how he and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by White, who was another city supervisor.
A lot has changed in the last 30 years, but it will be interesting to see how Van Sant's film does with the movie-going public, and whether "If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door," will become even more recognized, lauded, and followed.










Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-19-2008 @ 3:03PM
akaison said...
if I remember the mayor of castro street (the book I read on the subject) and the documentary -- he was the first elected official who was open, not third.
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1-19-2008 @ 3:05PM
akaison said...
by the way, this will test my theory about gay films. i theorize its about having bankable actors, not the subject matter. perhaps if this film does well, and the one with jim carey the industry will realize this. but we shall see.
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1-19-2008 @ 3:08PM
Monika said...
Akaison - I had read that as well, but in the Wikipedia entry for Milk, which I linked above, it says:
"After San Francisco switched from at-large to district elections, Milk was elected to the Board of Supervisors on his third attempt in 1977, the first openly gay elected official of any large city in the United States, and only the third openly gay elected official in all of the US, after Kathy Kozachenko and Elaine Noble. Milk represented District 5, which included the Castro."
So, I changed it to third.
Anyone else have any further information?
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