Jamie Foxx To Play A Homeless Violinist Opposite A Latino Columnist Named Lopez

Jamie Foxx has landed the lead role in “The Soloist,” a movie about the rapport built over the course of twelve newspaper articles between a burnt-out Jiulliard violinist living on the streets of Los Angeles and L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez. (Given that the crap Foxx has done since winning an Oscar for “Ray” includes “Stealth” and the “Miami Vice” re-make, it’s probably best that he do another melodramatic, musician-based biopic.) The real news to us is that the studio hasn’t yet cast the man to play Lopez, pictured at right, for what could be any number of reasons. Dare we suggest they’re stalling cuz they’re worried that picking an Anglo actor to portray a guy with a Latino name might piss some people off?

Odds are it’s just a name and not any indication of his ethnicity, although we did find video of Lopez delivering a commencement speech on a site called chicano news. (Obvs. not proof positive.) In the end, rather than cast somebody based on the urge to be PC, the studio should cast according to talent and (slight) resemblance. We hear Dennis Hopper needs work, and one out of two ain’t bad.

Foxx to portray skid row musician [L.A. Times]
Image [Google]