Warner Bros. has finally unveiled photos of Leonardo DiCaprio as their titular "J. Edgar" Hoover.
The first images of the upcoming drama have hit the Internet and showcase both DiCaprio as the first director of the FBI and Naomi Watts as Helen Gandy, Hoover's longtime secretary. Dicaprio's Hoover looks a bit stressed in these pictures. The Dustin Lance Black-written script tells the story of Hoover's public and private lives.
Clint Eastwood is continuing his trend of directing historical biopics with "J. Edgar." First with the two-parter "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima," and later with "Invictus," Eastwood has tried to capture the feel of specific times in history through the eyes of specific well-known historical figures. "J. Edgar" will delve into the controversial life of the FBI's first director, including his 48 years at the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, his alleged closeted homosexuality, and the accusations that he misused his power for political purposes.
"J. Edgar" has a star-studded cast in addition to DiCaprio and Watts. Armie Hammer stars as Clyde Tolson, Hoover's protégé and alleged lover. Judi Dench plays Hoover's mother, Anne Marie Hoover.
Ed Westwick is playing Agent Smith, an FBI agent tasked with ghost-writing Hoover's autobiography. Josh Lucas is famous aviator Charles Lindbergh, whose son's infamous kidnapping played a pivotal role in the development of the FBI. Jeffrey Donovan plays Robert F. Kennedy, and Ken Howard is U.S. Attorney General Harlan F. Stone.
"Working with Clint Eastwood, that guy's an icon," Hammer said about the role when MTV News caught up with him at the 2011 Oscars. "Honestly, he is like the nicest, quietest, sweetest man, but he'll get excited about things, and then he'll call 'Cut!' like Dirty Harry."