Brandon Flynn cast to play James Dean in upcoming gay biopic
"This story dares to present James Dean as a man with real, complex relationships,” said Flynn
By Aaron Sugg
Actor Brandon Flynn has been cast to play the leading role of James Dean, in the upcoming biopic entitled, Willie and Jimmy Dean, a film that will explore the late Hollywood actor’s reported gay romantic relationship with writer William Bast.
Known for his role as Justin Foley in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, Flynn will play Dean throughout his life – from his first meeting with Bast at the University of California, Los Angeles theatre program through to Dean’s death in a car accident in 1955.
“This story dares to present James Dean as a man with real, complex relationships” – Brandon Flynn
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Ratched star described the script: “This story dares to present James Dean as a man with real, complex relationships.”
Based on Bast’s 2006 memoir, Surviving James Dean, the film will focus on Bast and Dean navigating their evolving relationship and coming to terms with being gay during the 1950s.
According to Bast’s memoir, he and Dean were roommates, close friends and eventually became romantically involved. In his book Bast said that their relationship was kept private due to concerns about Dean’s career in Hollywood.
The rising star continued to have relationships with women, with Bast remaining hopeful that he and Dean would soon live together again.
Dean died at the age of 24, and although his career only lasted 5 years, he starred in three major Hollywood films: Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden and Giant. Bast, who went on to have a successful writing career, died in 2015.
“A tender and sometimes tragic story about two young men who found each other” – Guy Guido
The film is written by Writer-director Guy Guido who told The Hollywood reporter: “This is not a traditional biopic, 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.”
Casting for the roles of William Bast and his mother, Bernice, is currently ongoing whilst Guido is meeting with potential producers.