Nelly will be playing Rock n’ Roll legend Chuck Berry in the Buddy Holly biopic Clear Lake, Varietyreports.
Diane Guerrero (Doom Patrol, Orange Is the New Black) and Colin Hanks (Fargo) have also joined the cast. Hanks will portray Holly’s manager Norman Petty, while Guerrero will star as Holly’s wife Maria Elena Holly.
Clear Lake will be centered around how Holly and other famous musicians in the late 1950s managed to make an impactful change in the Civil Rights movement while also helping give rise to the Rock n’ Roll era. The script has been written by Patrick Shanahan and will be directed by Bruce Beresford, whose previous notable credits include Double Jeopardy and Driving Miss Daisy.
Pitchfork points out that Nelly and Chuck Berry headlined a free concert in their shared hometown of St. Louis in 2010. Nelly hasn't starred in a feature film since 2014 when he took on a supporting role in Reach Me. He has only been in three movies, with his most recognizable part being in the Adam Sandler-led remake The Longest Yard. His TV work includes a recurring role in the Kevin Hart-created series Real Husbands of Hollywood.
Nelly is currentlycompeting in Season 29 of Dancing with the Stars.
