The First Look at Damian Lewis as Rob Ford Will Haunt Your Nightmares
When Damian Lewis was cast in the upcoming Rob Ford biopic Run This Town, there was a good amount of chin scratching that followed. Not to doubt Lewis’ commitment to a transformation, or the magical wonders of even the most talented makeup artists, but the Homeland actor is a bit more on the lanky side while the controversial former Toronto mayor was, well, not. Instead of forcing yourself to imagine what a Lewis version of Ford will look like, the first set photos have now arrived to give you a fresh batch of nightmares.
Lewis isn’t going full-Christian Bale transformation though, but relying on full body and face suit to embody the former mayor who died in 2016, known for his 2013 crack-smoking scandal. Now, because the final reveal is rather jarring, I’ll ease you in to this prosthetic transformation. Here is Lewis with Ford head-only:
Did someone enter the cheat code for Goldeneye Big Head Mode? Maybe this is secretly a Jiminy Glick biopic. A tribute to Fat Bastard? But don’t worry, Lewis plans to match the head with the body. Brace yourselves… here’s the final product.
Lewis is, apparently, inside there somewhere. Hey, Makeup and Hair Academy members, someone would like your attention.
The Homeland actor underwent seven hours of makeup to become the Canadian politician. As Kit Magazine noted during an interview with Lewis, his entire head is covered in silicone strips, leaving only a tiny air hole near the nose. And that suit? It weighs a light 150-pounds. It will be amazing to see how Lewis actually acts, much less survives, within all of those prosthetics.
Run This Town also stars Ben Platt as a reporter investigating a scandal involving the mayor. The film will be written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Ricky Tollman and also star Nina Dobrev and Mena Massoud. No word yet on a release date, but Lewis’ Ford will be promoting the film from your nightmares till it arrives in theaters.