Robert De Niro has played plenty of law-breakers in his acting career, but is he ready for the role he may play next? According to Deadline, De Niro is in talks to star in the HBO adaptation of the freshly released book, “The Wizard Of Lies: Bernie Madoff And The Death Of Trust,” taking on the role of the epic ponzi scheme swindler Bernie Madoff himself. Read more after the jump!!
(HP)–It’s a role that would make sense politically for De Niro; an outspoken liberal, he’s recently had a war of words with Donald Trump, and as New York institution, he’d be taking on a man who helped destroy the lives of an expansive web of people, from investors at the center to all those tangentially connected.
The film could hit home for him in another way, too; Madoff and De Niro were once neighbors in the Hamptons, before the ponzi scheme fell.
De Niro is coming off of a very busy next few years; he recently premiered “Limitless” with Bradley Cooper,” and just wrapped up, “Another Bullshit Night In Suck City.” Finishing touches are being made on “New Year’s Eve,” “The Killer Elite” and “Red Lights.”
Right now, he’s shooting cop film “Freelancers,” a more conventional look for his illustrious career, and was just cast in the wedding comedy “Gently Down The Stream.”
Madoff is currently serving a 150-year sentence for creating the most massive fraudulent investment ponzi scheme in history. Up to $65 billion went missing from investors’ accounts, while $18 billion was deemed stolen. He lived a life of excess and luxury up until things fell apart, while many of his victims — including a number of celebrities — lost everything.
