It’ been a casting bonanza for Joel Edgerton‘s (The Gift) Boy Erased, signing on four more actors to join the already stellar cast. Edgerton himself is already said to be writing and directing the project, based on Garrard Conley‘s book Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith, and Family, but the outlined cast is sure to help put the film on top.
Boy Erased follows Jared (played by Manchester by the Sea‘s Lucas Hedges), the son of a baptist minister who is outed by his parents (Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe) and forced into conversion therapy. Xavier Dolan, Flea, Cherry Jones, and Troye Sivan are the latest to join the project.
Xavier Dolan is known for both his acting as well as writing and directing in mainly foreign films. As a writer/director, he is working on The Death and Life of John F. Donovan starring Kit Harington, Jessica Chastain, and Natalie Portman. Acting, he last appeared in Elephant Song (2014).
Red Hot Chilli Peppers‘ Flea, born Michael Balzary, while known for his flamboyant bass playing in the band, also boasts a list of film credits, including The Big Lebowski, Back to the Future Part II, and most recently Baby Driver.
Cherry Jones is similarly rather known for her theatre work rather than film. Five times nominated, Jones has one the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play twice, first for the 1995 revival of The Heiress, and then for the 2005 original production of Doubt. In film, she was last seen in The Party and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Actor-Youtuber-musician Troye Sivan has dabbled in everything, and in fact started in film, despite his status as a YouTuber. He has headed the South African Spud series, having made his film debut in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine as the young James Howlett.
Emily Hinkler, Jesse LaTourette, David Joseph Craig, Théodore Pellerin and Britton Sear also make up the cast.
What’s refreshing about the casting news is the inclusion of LGBT stars – Jones, Dolan, Sivan – in a film that looks to start a conversation about LGBT issues. While the size and nature of their roles have not been detailed, amidst growing criticism of misrepresentation in film (see whitewashing in Hellboy), their inclusion is a step forward.
Boy Erased, with its incredible cast and gripping storyline, looks to be a good one. It’s expected to be released in 2018.
#Peace.Love.BoyErased
