ActorBrandonFlynn, best known for his roles in 13 Reasons Why, TrueDetective,and Manhunt, has been cast as a closeted James Dean in Willie & Jimmy Dean,based on WilliamBasts memoir Surviving James Dean.The memoir recounts Basts first meeting with Dean at UCLA, where the two became roommates and, eventually, secret lovers during the early years of Deans stardom.While Dean maintained public relationships with women, Bast claimed they kept their romance private to protect Deans career, remaining hopeful theyd one day build a life together, hopes that ended abruptly when Dean died in a car crash in 1955 at just 24.The film will explore Bast and Deans five-year love affair set against the backdrop of Hollywoods golden age.Photo by Robby Klein/Getty Images for IMDbThe Double Life of Hollywood LegendsWillie & Jimmy Dean explores the shadowed desires of Dean, whose sexuality is often the subject of debate amongst film buffs, Hollywood historians, and biographers.While we may never have confirmation of Deans intimate affairs, his contemporaries included other closeted icons, such as RockHudson, TabHunter, AnthonyPerkins, and MontgomeryClift.Portraying a real-life icon might be daunting, but this isnt Flynns first time stepping into a role that blurs the line between public and private persona. He recently portrayed Marlon Brando, another 1950s legend with a complicated sexual history, in the stage production of Kowalski.But unlike Dean, Brando openly identified as bisexual and admitted to same-sex relationships. He said, Homosexuality is so much in fashion, it no longer makes news. Like a large number of men, I, too, have had homosexual experiences, and I am not ashamed. I have never paid much attention to what people think about me.James Dean 2.0This isnt the first time Deans life has been retold through a queer lens.In 2012, the independent film Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Deanexplored the actors bisexual experiences. Documentaries like James Dean: The Final Dayand James Dean: Outside the Linesreveal details about the possibility of his secret romances.But the Guy Guidodirected project will be the first and fullest exploration of Deans intimate relationships, directly retelling his romantic entanglement with Bast in a way weve never seen before.Guido told The Hollywood Reporter,Its a tender and sometimes tragic story about two young men who found each other in a time and place where being seen, truly seen, came at a cost.As an out gay actor, Flynn will bring a unique and authentic voice to one of Hollywoods most famous leading men who might never have been able to speak his truth.Source