Michael Douglas } LIBERACE } Matt Damon } Chauffeur, Lover
By AMELIA PROUD
He is portraying Liberace in a new biopic and Michael Douglas looks ready to take on the dazzling role in the first still released from HBO's Behind the Candelbra.
The 68-year-old sports a bouffant brown wig and one of the mid-westerner's trademark baroque suits with a matching coat and fur cape.
Douglas is a year older than Liberace was when he died of AIDS related pneumonia in 1987 and it's believed this movie deals with the latter years of the pianist's life as he sought to suppress rumours of his homosexuality despite being sued by former live-in lover Scott Thorson for palimony.
The film is an adaptation of the book of the same name written by Thorson, and is directed by the actors favourite Steven Soderbergh.
Thorson was Liberace’s lover for five years and will be portrayed by Matt Damon in the movie.
The co-stars were seen dressed up in their period clothing to film scenes in Beverly Hills, Palm Springs and Las Vegas.
Thorson was 17 when he first met Liberace in 1976.
Liberace had promised Thorson, who was raised in foster homes, that he would adopt and care for him and eventually the performer incorporated his live-in lover into his lavish Las Vegas stage performances.
The Ave Maria singer was famed for being the world's highest-paid entertainer at one point, and enjoyed his fortune with an extravagant lifestyle.
But the romance ended due to the pianist's sexual promiscuity and Thorson's drug addiction, which led him to contract Hepatitis C.
In 1982, Thorson filed a $113 million lawsuit against Liberace, with the palimony suit being the more famous part.
But in 1986, the pair reportedly settled out of court for $95,000, two cars, and two pet dogs.
Thorson reconciled with Liberace on his death bed, and a year later published the book Behind the Candelabra: My Life With Liberace on which the film is based.
Also joining the cast are Dan Aykroyd as Liberace's long-time manager who disapproved of his relationship with Thorson, Rob Lowe as the plastic surgeon tasked with making Thorson's face resemble Liberace's, and Debbie Reynolds will play Liberace's mother Frances, according to Total Film
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