Grant Bowler Joins Lindsay Lohan As Richard Burton In Lifetime's Liz Taylor Biopic

Lindsay Lohan’s leading man in the Lifetime biopic about Elizabeth Taylor has been cast. Grant Bowler of True Blood will take on the role of the man who may have been the love of Liz’s life, Richard Burton. The Lifetime movie, title Liz & Dick chronicles their on-again, off-again relationship that included two weddings and two divorces.

The search for the man to play Burton spanned the globe, with producers hoping to locate a Welsh man to play Burton, who was Welsh himself. Deadline says the decision to cast New Zealander Grant Bowler was clear as soon as he did a reading with Lohan. Executive producer Larry Thompson says “the chemistry erupted in the room” between the two actors. That’s pretty much a requisite for a couple whose romance was known to be among the steamiest and the stormiest Hollywood has ever seen and a couple Thompson calls “the first Brangelina”.

Grant Bowler did a seven-episode arc as Cooter on Season 3 of True Blood, and before that appeared on Ugly Betty and Lost. Among the other actors in contention for the role were Gossip Girl’s Matthew Settle and CSI’s Craig Robert Young. The search was an extensive one, but it sounds like once Bowler stepped into the role it was an obvious choice.

Lindsay Lohan was confirmed for the role last month after meeting Lifetime’s requirements regarding her legal status. An unofficial shot of Lohan as Taylor was recently released by the actress, showing her in costume.