Matt Damon And Michael Douglas Get Glam For Behind The Candelabra Cover Photo

We’ve had a few sneak peeks at Matt Damon and Michael Douglas glizted up for their roles in the HBO Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra, but as the air date for the movie approaches, we’re getting to see a little more. Prosthetics, make-up and lots and lots of bling are headed our way.

This week’s cover of EW is up close and personal with the two stars, portraying the famous pianist (Douglas) and his much younger lover Scott Thorson (Damon).

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, the HBO movie will tell the tale of the behind-the-scenes love story between Liberace and Thorson, who were together from 1978-1982. It's based on the memoir published by Thorson himself about his time inside the glamorous world of the flamboyant yet never publically out-of-the-closet Liberace. There’s no doubt that we’re going to see these two actors as we have never seen them before. In fact, Matt Damon promises a very tanned look at his backside dressed in tiny swimsuits and even a metallic thong. He confesses that having someone spray tan that area for him was a little awkward, and his wife could have done without the sight.

Douglas, meanwhile, will be playing Liberace himself, and even encountered the man once when his father, Kirk Douglas, lived next door to the pianist’s Palm Springs residence. He remembers seeing Liberace in his convertible with “his hair not moving.” Well, a lot of people were fond of hairspray in those days. In addition to seeing these two actors looking nothing like themselves, the film also required them to do some love scenes together. Damon said of one of the particularly intense scenes:

"We do it. Cut. There’s a long pause. And then you just hear Steven (Soderbergh) go, 'Well… I have no notes.'"

I might have some notes, but not until I see this one. Behind the Candelabra airs on HBO on May 26th.