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New biopic of Liberace for 2010
By: Catherine A. Ross
Liberace - "fruit-flavoured"
Liberace - "fruit-flavoured"
Matt Damon to be Michael Douglas's lover in Liberace film
Michael Douglas has confirmed that Matt Damon will play his lover in a new biopic about Liberace.
Douglas will play the outrageous piano-playing entertainer with Damon as Scott Thorson, who famously sued Liberace for palimony despite the star's protestations that he wasn't gay.
The film, to be directed by Steven Soderbergh, goes into production next year. Douglas told Sun Media he intended to spend the early part of 2010 preparing for the role after finishing work on Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps.
"I'm going to spend two or three months, just researching," he said. "I'll get the voice and figure out the piano style. I'm just going to get really comfortable so it's not a caricature. At this point and at my age, why not? It's not all autographs and sunglasses.
"Matt's going to be my young lover. Why not? God bless Matt. Hey, it's easy for me - he's in his prime. I said to him, 'Matt, I love you man. Boy, that Bourne must really be going strong.' But good for him. He's right taking chances. All those young guys - Clooney - they're taking risks...It's smart trying to mix it up a bit and maintain those franchises and still get to do a picture that turns you on."
Liberace, who died in 1987 at the age of 67 due to complications brought on by AIDS, was sued in 1982 by his alleged live-in-lover Scott Thorson after an acrimonious split-up.
The film, to be directed by Steven Soderbergh, goes into production next year. Douglas told Sun Media he intended to spend the early part of 2010 preparing for the role after finishing work on Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps.
"I'm going to spend two or three months, just researching," he said. "I'll get the voice and figure out the piano style. I'm just going to get really comfortable so it's not a caricature. At this point and at my age, why not? It's not all autographs and sunglasses.
"Matt's going to be my young lover. Why not? God bless Matt. Hey, it's easy for me - he's in his prime. I said to him, 'Matt, I love you man. Boy, that Bourne must really be going strong.' But good for him. He's right taking chances. All those young guys - Clooney - they're taking risks...It's smart trying to mix it up a bit and maintain those franchises and still get to do a picture that turns you on."
Liberace, who died in 1987 at the age of 67 due to complications brought on by AIDS, was sued in 1982 by his alleged live-in-lover Scott Thorson after an acrimonious split-up.
Thorson, 24, claimed $113m in palimony but most of his case was dismissed in 1984 when he received a $95,000 settlement.
Throughout that time, Liberace continued to publicly deny that he was gay, but the first time the subject of his sexuality reached the courts was in Britain.
Throughout that time, Liberace continued to publicly deny that he was gay, but the first time the subject of his sexuality reached the courts was in Britain.
In a 1956 article in the Daily Mirror, veteran columnist William Connor said that Liberace was "the summit of sex - the pinnacle of masculine, feminine, and neuter. Everything that he, she, and it can ever want...a deadly, winking, sniggering, snuggling, chromium-plated, scent-impregnated, luminous, quivering, giggling, fruit-flavoured, mincing, ice-covered heap of mother love."
Liberace sued the Daily Mirror for libel, testifying in a London court that he was not a homosexual, and had never taken part in homosexual acts.
Liberace sued the Daily Mirror for libel, testifying in a London court that he was not a homosexual, and had never taken part in homosexual acts.
He won the case, partly because of the use of the term fruit-flavoured, which was considered to impute homosexuality.
The damages of £8000 he received allowed him to use his catchphrase: "I cried all the way to the bank!"
