Armie Hammer Opposes Inauthentic Gay Lovers, Chest Waxing: VIDEO

Armie Hammer covers this month's Details. In the cover story, he talks about the upcoming Clint Eastwood film J Edgar, co-starring Leonardo DiCaprio:

Ironically, the younger Armand Hammer is cast in J. Edgar as Clyde Tolson, Hoover's right-hand man, confidant of five decades, and lover. The movie is no Brokeback Mountain on the Potomac, but it does deal with a complicated and high-stakes attraction between two men charged with keeping secrets for a living. When he was initially offered the part, Hammer balked. "It wasn't the gay aspect I had a hard time with," he says. "When I first read the script, it didn't make sense why Clyde would stay around—because 99 percent of the time he's just taking abuse. But then it was explained to me: When you get that little glimmer of hope—like Tolson did—that simple kiss on the forehead, it all seems worth it and you stay.

"Tolson was the only man who treated Hoover like a human," Hammer says, finishing off his cigar. "They had lunch together every day and dinner together every night. Without exception, never missed it."

In Eastwood's estimation, Hammer delivers "a sleeper performance" worthy of attention and acclaim." Armie's like a throwback to that era," he says. "When Hoover started the bureau, he was 22. At 22, I don't think I knew anything. But Armie's more like those guys, with that ambition and maturity. He's very young but already a full-blown man."

He also plays Prince Charming in an upcoming Snow White adaptation. In addition to saving Snow White, he also saved his chest hair:

Four stuntmen are strapped into them, doing front flips, side flips, and 720-degree spins. "These guys can run as fast as horses," says Hammer, taking off his shirt and revealing a tuft of chest hair he recently had to fight to keep. "Julia had a line about how smooth my chest is," he says, "and it's not. So the producers were like, 'Okay, just shave him.' And I was like, 'WHOA. I spent 25 years earning this chest hair. I'm wearing purple tights and a codpiece, so, please, let me keep my manhood.'"

Watch a behind-the-scenes video of Hammer's cover shoot, AFTER THE JUMP...

(cover image via just jared)

'J. Edgar' Gets Release Date

Indiewire reports that Warner Bros. has set November 9 as the release date for the Dustin Lance Black-penned J. Edgar starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

They write:

Aside from DiCaprio, the drama has a stellar cast including “The Social Network” breakout star Armie Hammer as Hoover’s assistant/closeted lover Clyde Tolson; Josh Lucas as famed aviator Charles Lindbergh; Ed Westwick as Agent Smith, an operative gifted with writing skills; Damon Herriman as Bruno Hauptmann, the man convicted of kidnapping and killing the Lindbergh baby; Judi Dench as Hoover’s mother; Naomi Watts as Helen Gandy, a Justice Department file clerk who ended up being Hoover’s personal secretary; Ken Howard as lawyer and jurist Harlan F. Stone; Jeffrey Donovan as Robert F. Kennedy; and Stephen Root as Arthur Koehler, a wood specialist at Forest Product Laboratories who uses his expertise to help Hoover investigate the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby by tracing the origins of the ladder used by the perpetrator.

Black shot down reports in February that Eastwood was planning to "de-gay" the film, saying "To think that somehow you’re going to a make a movie about somebody like J. Edgar and you’re not going to learn what’s in his heart, that’s just not going to happen in a script that I write...It’s unfounded [the idea that the movie is being de-gayed.]"

Hammer has spoken excitedly about his kissing scenes with DiCaprio.

Armie Hammer Discusses 'Weird Hype' About Kissing a Guy

Actor Armie Hammer talked to ET Canada about kissing Leonardo DiCaprio for the upcoming J Edgar biopic:

"It’s the same kind of thing as if you walk onto a set and they hand you a machine gun and [say], 'Shoot this like you know what you’re doing' — you can’t grab that thing and go, 'uh…' — you kind of have to go, 'Okay, I know what I’m doing,' and you’ve just got to go for it. It wasn’t that weird — I have never kissed a guy — it’s not something I’m going to do in my private life, but at the end of it I was, like, man, there is a lot of weird hype."

Leonardo DiCaprio and Armie Hammer Film 'Very Passionate' Kiss

Leonardo DiCaprio and Armie Hammer shot a big kissing scene last week for the Clint Eastwood biopic J Edgar about the former FBI director, E! News' Marc Malkin and Brett Malec report:

"It was on Friday when they had their kissing scene, and it was very passionate," the source tells us.

For those who don't know, DiCaprio stars in the film as late FBI boss J. Edgar Hoover. Hammer plays his protégé and rumored lover Clyde Tolson.

"[They did] more [takes] than Clint normally does," adds our source. "They wanted to make it right...It's a more involved scene than just the kissing...It was so sexy."

Early in February, Hammer told DiCaprio to "pucker up."

In February, screenwriter Dustin Lance Black responded to reports that Clint Eastwood chose the film specifically because it didn't have a gay angle:

"I think [Eastwood is] referring to the fact that he’s not going into the stereotypes of who Hoover was because they are clownish, they are comic book and they reek of homophobia and he’s not going to do that. I agree with that. It won’t be going into anything that is a gay stereotype, especially that was used in that day to bash gay men. It won’t be going into that because it’s not accurate and it’s not true. It will deal with sexuality in a far more human, realistic way."

Is Clint Eastwood Planning to De-Gay the J Edgar Hoover Biopic?

Director Clint Eastwood tells the Wall Street Journal that he was interested in directing a forthcoming biopic of J Edgar Hoover specifically because the screenplay doesn't address FBI founder Hoover's rumored homosexuality.

WSJ:

The Hoover screenplay was written by Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar-winning writer of the 2008 film "Milk" about the life and 1978 murder of gay-rights activist and San Francisco City Councilman Harvey Milk. When I ask if the screenplay addresses reports by former FBI employees that Hoover was a cross-dresser and perhaps a closeted homosexual, Mr. Eastwood says not really. In fact, what attracted him to the screenplay was the fact that it "didn't quite go down that road."

Eastwood's statement appears to directly contradict something screenwriter Black said back in March to the NY Post:

The movie will follow Hoover’s career, from founding the FBI in 1935 throughout his long tenure as director, but what many people want to know is if "Hoover" (working title) will address some of the more colorful aspects of his life. You know, like the rumors that he was a closeted homosexual and avid crossdresser.

"Well, look who you're talking to," Dustin told PopWrap with a smirk. "I wrote the script ... what do you think?"

And Social Network star Armie Hammer, who has been cast opposite Leonardo DiCaprio as Clyde Tolson, Hoover's secret lover, told E! last week that the script deals with it directly:

Said Hammer of the script:

"It's not a kissing scene—it's a ton of kissing scenes...I'm so excited to work with Clint, and from what I hear, he's not the type of director who has a ton of rehearsals and takes. I think we're just sort of thrown in there and have to make it happen....I actually just met [Leo] for the first time Saturday at the DGA Awards. Sure, we talked business...He's a talented actor. I'm not nervous or afraid of it being awkward. The script is great. The scenes are in there for a reason. I'm really excited....Yeah, you hear that, Leo? Pucker up!"

The blog Band of Thebes asks some relevant questions:

Could the writer of The Journey of Jared Price, Pedro, Milk, and the narrator of8: The Mormon Proposition really have wanted to explore Hoover's life and ignore his closeted pathology? Or did Eastwood degay it? Or is he engaging in publicity spin, downplaying that part of the film so it won't be perceived as a gay movie? 

Inquiring minds want to know.

UPDATE: Black responds.

"To think that somehow you’re going to a make a movie about somebody like J. Edgar and you’re not going to learn what’s in his heart, that’s just not going to happen in a script that I write...It’s unfounded [the idea that the movie is being de-gayed.]"

"I think [Eastwood is] referring to the fact that he’s not going into the stereotypes of who Hoover was because they are clownish, they are comic book and they reek of homophobia and he’s not going to do that. I agree with that. It won’t be going into anything that is a gay stereotype, especially that was used in that day to bash gay men. It won’t be going into that because it’s not accurate and it’s not true. It will deal with sexuality in a far more human, realistic way."

Armie Hammer Tells Leonardo DiCaprio to 'Pucker Up', Hoover Script Has 'a Ton of Kissing Scenes'

As reported earlier, Armie Hammer is set to play J. Edgar Hoover's secret lover in the upcoming Hoover biopic starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

E!'s Ted Casablance and Taryn Rider caught up with Hammer on the red carpet at the SAG Awards.

Said Hammer of the script:

"It's not a kissing scene—it's a ton of kissing scenes...I'm so excited to work with Clint, and from what I hear, he's not the type of director who has a ton of rehearsals and takes. I think we're just sort of thrown in there and have to make it happen....I actually just met [Leo] for the first time Saturday at the DGA Awards. Sure, we talked business...He's a talented actor. I'm not nervous or afraid of it being awkward. The script is great. The scenes are in there for a reason. I'm really excited....Yeah, you hear that, Leo? Pucker up!"