Sorry, Lindsay Lohan: Malin Akerman Will Be Playing Linda Lovelace

Tim Grierson
·Editor
This is the woman who broke Lindsay Lohan's heart. Jamie McCarthy/WireImage
This is the woman who broke Lindsay Lohan's heart. Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

Those hoping that Lindsay Lohan's once-promising film career would get back on track were putting their faith in "Inferno," a biopic about infamous "Deep Throat" porn actress Linda Lovelace that was set to star Lohan. It's just the sort of serious, demanding role that (if done properly) could return Lohan to people's good graces (and, who knows, maybe even land her an Oscar nomination). Well, you can forget all that: The filmmakers have kicked her to the curb and are moving on with Malin Akerman

"Inferno" director Matthew Wilder confirmed over the weekend that Lohan was no longer going to be his Lovelace, and his reasons for the decision were, sadly, not that surprising. "We have stuck by Lindsay very patiently for a long time with a lot of love and support," Wilder told E! on Saturday. "Ultimately, the impossibility of insuring her -- and some other issues -- have made it impossible for us to go forward." In other words, her latest attempt to stay sober still wasn't enough to keep her from being viewed by the film community as a wild card not worth the time and trouble.

But while Lohan's dismissal robs her of a chance for a career rehabilitation, it presents Akerman with the opportunity for a breakout dramatic role after spending many years in comedies like "The Proposal," "Couples Retreat" and "27 Dresses." The problem is that Akerman's past dramas don't exactly instill a lot of confidence in us about her ability to portray Lovelace, who became the world's most well-known porn star of the 1970s thanks to "Deep Throat" but who later transformed into a crusader against pornography, claiming that she had been forced at gunpoint to appear in the films that made her a legend. "Inferno" will be a dark character study, and the gorgeous-but-dull actress of "Watchmen," "The Romantics" and the forthcoming "HappyThankYouMorePlease" will have to go places she's never done before on film, and we're not sure she can. But for now, pencil Akerman into the "maybe" category for the 2011 Oscar field. And for Lohan fans, you'll always have those commemorative Lohan "Inferno" posters to imagine what might have been.

Lindsay Lohan Exits 'Inferno'; Malin Akerman to Play Linda Lovelace [The Wrap]
Lindsay Lohan's Inferno Extinguished [E!]