Girls star Zosia Mamet to play Patti Smith in Robert Mapplethorpe biopic
Doctor Who actor Matt Smith has been cast in the lead as the controversial photographer
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Girls actress Zosia Mamet has been cast as ‘godmother of punk’ Patti Smith in a new biopic about photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.
Mapplethorpe was Smith’s ex-boyfriend and collaborator, who shot her iconic Horses album cover and inspired her 2013 memoir Just Kids.
His photography style was controversial: he rose to fame in the Seventies with avant-garde, highly sexual Polaroid pictures of New York.
“I don’t like that particular word ‘shocking’,” he said in 1988. “I’m looking for the unexpected. I’m looking for things I’ve never seen before.”
Mapplethorpe died of AIDS in 1989 aged just 42.
Matt Smith, best known for Doctor Who, has signed on to play the lead in Mapplethorpe with Deadline reporting that Ondi Timoner is directing.
Just Kids, which tells the story of Smith’s early life and relationship with Mapplethorpe, is also set to be made into a TV series.
Smith hopes the project will “allow us to explore the characters more deeply, enabling us to develop stories beyond the book and allow a measure of unorthodox presentation”.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments