Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe is set to portray Allen Ginsberg in a new play about the poet’s life.
Kill Your Darlings, a new independent drama about poetry, gay stalkers and murder in 1940s New York directed by John Krokidas, will chart the gay poet’s relationships with Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac and Lucien Carr, who was imprisoned for two years for murdering his stalker David Kammerer and dumping the body in the Hudson.
Ginsberg, who died in 1997, was open about his sexuality in the 1940s, and listed his partner Peter Orlovsky as his spouse in a Who’s Who entry.
Radcliffe had hinted at the role recently, telling the French media that he would be playing a gay character next year.
In his own life, Radcliffe has been open in addressing persistent rumors that he is gay. In an interview with MTV News during a shoot for a Trevor Project public-service announcement, the 20-year-old actor didn’t shy away from talking about the longstanding gossip. “If people want to say that, they can,” he said. “But I’m not. I’m straight.”
Through his work with the Trevor Project, Radcliffe has spoken passionately about the importance of helping at-risk kids and removing the stigma of coming out.
