A History of Actresses Pegged to Play Linda Lovelace

Image via Complex Original

For the past six years, Hollywood has been trying to get a Linda Lovelace biopic off the ground, with dismal results. If you didn't know, Linda is the actress who famously starred in the groundbreaking 1972 porn film, Deep Throat. Her story weaves tales of abuse and trauma for one compelling narrative, but even with three scripts about her floating around Tinseltown since 2005, there's no one who can make it happen. A of list actress have been attached to the various projects, most recently, Amanda Seyfried, this month. Keep reading for A History of Actresses Pegged to Play Linda Lovelace and see why we're skeptical about this film ever happening.

Courtney Love

Attached To Project: March 2005
Jason Blum plans to produce rookie screenwriter Merritt Johnson's Linda Lovelace film, and Courtney Love is announced as the actress who will be taking on the lead role. Kurt Cobain's widow was previously nominated for a Golden Globe after her turn as the stripper wife of a porn publisher in 1996 film The People vs Larry Flynt, so the project seems like a possibility.

Anna Faris

Attached To Project: February 2007
Matthew Wilder begins work on a new Linda Lovelace project with more realistic prospects. It's going to be called Inferno and Scary Movie star Anna Faris is attached as the lead. Then a year goes by, The House Bunny is a success, and Anna decides that she wants to "stick to comedies."

Lindsay Lohan

Attached To Project: May 2010
After Inferno loses its lead in September 2008, there's no update on production until Lindsay Lohan joins the project a couple of years later in the midst of legal and personal drama. Lilo even takes it as far to do a publicity shoot for the film with Tyler Shields, but when she's sentenced to jail in July 2010, the role falls to the wayside.

Sarah Scott

Attached To Project: July 2010
Filming on Inferno was set to start in August, but when Lindsay's antics derail the project, producers hold a quickie meeting with small-time actress Sarah Scott. That leads to rumors of her as a replacement, but they don't stick.

Malin Akerman

Attached To Project: November 2010
Four months after Lohan's 13-day jail sentence, producers confirm that she's no longer attached to the film. Director Matthew Wilder tells E!, “The impossibility of insuring her and some other issues have made it impossible for us to go forward. We are currently in negotiations [with another actress] and working out the legalities of bringing her onboard.” The other actress turns out to be Malin Akerman, and she's still attached. Matt Dillon is on board as Linda's abusive husband, Chuck Traynor. Production is slated to begin in January 2012.

Kate Hudson

Attached To Project: January 2011
After the mess that's been Inferno, another Linda Lovelace project pops up, simply titled Lovelace. Kate Hudson is the first actress rumored to portray Linda, with James Franco in talks to play her pornographer husband, putting him back on set with his Howl colleagues, Oscar-winning directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman.

Olivia Wilde

Attached To Project: July 2011
The Cowboys & Aliens star is the next actress attached to the new Lovelace flick. She considers the role, telling Nylon, "It would be a tremendous honor. It's such a cool role. She was a fascinating woman."

Amanda Seyfried

Attached To Project: November 2011
In most recent news, Lovelace has Amanda Seyfried in talks for the lead and True Blood's Peter Sarsgaard is a possibility for Linda's husband. We'll see if this cast sticks. Lovelace producers want to start shooting in December.