Nelly has been cast as the late Chuck Berry in an upcoming biopic about singer-songwriter Buddy Holly.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film is titled Clear Lake, most likely after Clear Lake, Iowa; site of the 1959 plane crash that claimed the lives of Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, and pilot Roger Peterson.
Oscar nominee Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy, Mr. Church) is directing the film, which has been authorized by the Buddy Holly estate.
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Nelly will portray late rock and roll legend Berry, who was known for his energetic performances of the hits “Maybellene” (1955), “Roll Over Beethoven” (1956), and “Johnny B. Goode” (1958).
Ruairi O’Connor (The Spanish Princess) leads the cast as Holly. Colin Hanks co-stars as Norman Petty, Holly’s manager and producer, and Diane Guerrero plays Holly’s wife, María Elena Holly. Filming is slated to begin in spring 2021.
Nelly has been busy lately. He’s currently competing on Dancing With Stars, and made it all the way to the finals after landing a perfect score this week. He’s also slated to perform on the American Music Awards, hosted by Taraji P. Henson on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
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