Sean Penn To Play Harvey Milk, Matt Damon To Play Dan White
Local movie star, sometimes activist, and Tosca regular Sean Penn will play gay for pay in the long-incubated version of Randy Shilts' 1982 "The Mayor of Castro Street". (An amazing book for those of you who have yet to read it.) He'll play murdered San Francisco Supervisor and gay rights activist Harvey Milk, who was shot and killed along with Mayor George Moscone by Supervisor Dan White. Perma-boy Matt Damon gets to play the hot piece of crazy ass that was Dan White.
No word yet on who gets the choice diva role of Dianne Feinstein, but her part had best steal the film. How could it not? The career-making footage of Feinstein telling the media about the assassinations is priceless. (Here's an old, somewhat moving NBC Nightly News report on that day in 1978, featuring Feinstein's announcement.)
A notorious method actor, we wonder how far Penn will go to get this part juuust right. Because, Sean? We're here for you, and we're gentle.