Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been cast to play television host and comedian Johnny Carson in a biopic series.
King Of Late Night, written by Deadwood creator David Milch and directed by Jay Roach (Meet The Parents), will follow the life and career of Carson across New York, Los Angeles and the Las Vegas strip.
According to Deadline, the series looks to connect how Carson’s on-screen persona conflicted with certain aspects of his personal life, which he kept extremely private.
Carson is best known for hosting The Tonight Show for 30 years from 1962-1992. Before his career in entertainment, he served in the Navy during World War II.
Following his retirement in 1992, Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He passed away in January 2005, aged 79, after a battle with emphysema.
There’s been attempts in the past to get a Carson biopic off the ground, including a film and NBC series based on the book, Carson The Magnificent: An Intimate Portrait, by Bill Zehme. Both projects never materialised.
Gordon-Levitt recently starred in anthology series Super Pumped, where he played former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick alongside Kyle Chandler, Uma Thurman and Elisabeth Shue.
His next film role is in the upcoming remake of Pinocchio as the voice of Jiminy Cricket. Other cast members include Tom Hanks, Cynthia Erivo and Luke Evans. The film is scheduled to be released on Disney+ in September 2022.
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