We can safely label 2022 as the year of the biopic (hello Elvis, Blonde, et al.) and we can now add LGBTQ+ icon and Andy Warhol muse Candy Darling as the latest figure to be given the treatment, with Hari Nef cast to portray the transgender actor. Yet to be titled, the film is a project by Transparent writer Stephanie Kornick and has been in the works since 2019.
What is the plot of the Candy Darling biopic?
The Candy Darling biopic is set to cover the actor’s rise from a childhood competing in Long Island beauty pageants to her years alongside Holly Woodlawn and Jackie Curtis as part of La Mama, an experimental theatre group in New York’s East Village. It will also recount her time starring in Andy Warhol’s film, Women in Revolt.
Darling has been a cultural icon for decades, often the inspiration for many artists who have come to follow. This includes lyrics for Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground and St. Vincent, alongside being a featured figure in Patti Smith’s cult memoir, Just Kids.
Nef – a transgender actor herself – says it is the honour of her life to be cast as Darling in the film.
“The dream was always to play Candy, and it is the honour of my life to get the chance to do it,” said Nef in an exclusive statement to Deadline. “Candy bridged the gap between her dreams and a reality stacked so consummately against her—a transsexual glamour girl and indie icon reigning over Warhol’s Manhattan and Nixon’s America. She burned fast, and bright. More than anything, she wanted to be taken seriously as an actress. She taught girls like me how to dream—perhaps even how to be at all. She’s the blueprint.”
View this post on Instagram
Nef has completely immersed herself in the role, speaking with those who knew Darling well and consuming a wealth of literature on the actor’s life.
“In preparation for the role,” shared Nef, “I have consulted her friends, her diaries—every frame of celluloid I can find with her within it. I’m calling up theatre archives to read the scripts of the plays she performed downtown! Thankfully, the producers have already amassed a treasure trove of archival riches. We’re attacking it! I’m so excited!”
When will the Candy Darling biopic be released?
A release date for the Candy Darling biopic is yet to be announced.
Image: Pinterest
