Just when you thought the cast of Oliver Stone’s George W. Bush ‘biopic’, W, couldn’t get any more eclectic, along comes Rob Corddry.
The former Daily Show correspondent, whose efforts to replicate the success of fellow defectors Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert have so far resulted in a bunch of second, third and fourth banana roles in comedies like Blades Of Glory and The Heartbreak Kid, will play Ari Fleischer, the former press secretary of the current US President.
Fleischer became one of the most famous press secretaries in recent White House history, known for his spirited defences of his boss and his distinctive look (bald pate, glasses). Corddry’s casting means he’ll be one of the few W cast members who won’t require extensive prosthetics to resemble the character they’re playing.
The 37 year-old joins Josh Brolin (as Dubya), Elizabeth Banks (as Laura Bush), James Cromwell (as George H.W. Bush), Ellen Burstyn (as Barbara Bush), Thandie Newton (as Condie Rice) and Ioan Gruffudd (as Tony Blair) in the drama, which starts shooting on April 21, and which has already attracted more than its fair share of criticism from right-wing commentators. But we’re guessing Stone was expecting that.
More casting should be confirmed in the next few days, with the likes of Karl Rove still to be confirmed. Corddry, meanwhile, can next be seen in What Happens In Vegas… and Harold And Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay.