True Blood’s new cast member, Chris Meloni has been set to play Leo Durocher in 42, the Brian Helgeland-directed biopic for legendary Pictures about Jackie Robinson and the breaking of baseball’s color line.
He certainly resembles the young Durocher, see comparative photo below:
Chadwick Boseman is playing Robinson, and Harrison Ford is playing Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers general manager who signed the second baseman and changed the world. Gersh-repped Meloni plays Leo the Lip Durocher, who was the Dodgers manager and who was an avid supporter of Robinson, and stuck up for him when he faced racism from crowds, and sometimes opposing even his own dugout. Legendary Pictures CEO Thomas Tull is producing and chief creative officer Jon Jashni exec producing along with former Disney chairman Dick Cook. They’ve got Robinson’s widow, Rachel, consulting. (Getty Images photo of Durocher and Robinson when he was with the minor league Montreal Royals)
source: deadline.com
