Another Biopic In The Works: Billy Eichner Set To Play Paul Lynde!
Phat Matt and I both have a little obsession with biopics, and this may now be our most anticipated.
In today’s Daily Scoop, we discussed the currently-in-development movie based on Paul Lynde, the wonderfully hilarious and absolutely iconic TV/movie icon.
Man in the Box is said to show the fantastic and sometimes complicated life of Paul Lynde. We know and love him for his roles in Bewitched, Bye Bye Birdie, Charlotte’s Web and of course his game show work on Hollywood Squares.
Lynde is also known for being a staple in the LGBTQ+ community. While he was never outright transparent about his sexuality or “out”, he is loved for bending the norms on masculinity, often teasing himself for being closeted to the public.
It is said by friends and analysts that it was “not a possibility” for him to come out at that time in Hollywood (60’s/70’s), especially with his goal of achieving such large-scale success.
On top of the conversation of sexuality, Lynde was riddled with discussion around his alcoholism. This may be a tough subject for fans to watch, however it is certainly prominent in his story.
He passed away at the age of 55 due to a heart attack.
We have confidence in Billy Eichner playing this role, especially thanks to his diversity in his roles and as a gay actor. In an interview he shared that “there’s some overlap, between Paul and I, in that we both had our breakthrough in the industry, as performers, presenting a rather larger-than-life, flamboyant, gay persona on screen.”
Billy Eichner is also well known as a game show host with “Billy on the Street”. He is set to help produce the film as well.
He shared his involvement in an Instagram post here:
The movie is being developed by producer Tom McNulty, with a script by Edwin Cannistraci. We do not have a release date yet.
