American actor James Franco will play Fidel Castro in “Alina de Cuba“, a small independent film about the “rebellious daughter” of the Cuban leader, the film’s producer said.
“The director wanted someone who looked physically similar to Fidel Castro and had his charisma“, producer John Martinez O’Felan told AFP.
Martínez said that he reviewed profiles of actors with Latino or Iberian descent, but “I decided to approach James Franco“. This is the second participation in a production for Franco, 44, after being denounced for sexual harassment and improper conduct in 2018.
“Alina de Cuba” will be directed by Miguel Bardem, cousin of Spanish actor Javier Bardem. It will be filmed in Colombia, and work will begin on August 15th, said Martínez O’Felan, who hopes to finish production by the end of the year.
James Franco interpretará al líder cubano Fidel Castro en la cinta 'Aline of Cuba'. pic.twitter.com/F22F4NAKsM
— Cerebros (@CerebrosG) August 4, 2022
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Ana Villafañe, known for playing Gloria Estefan in the theater musical “On Your Feet!“, will play Alina Fernández, Castro’s out-of-wedlock daughter, and fellow Cuban Natalia Revuelta Clews, played by Argentine Mía Maestro.
Alina Fernández, 66, has lived in exile since the 1990s, when she left the island via Spain. The opponent of the Cuban revolution is based in Miami and is the author of the autobiographical book Alina: “Memories of the rebellious daughter of Fidel Castro“.
