Friday, May 04, 2012

McGinley Is Voice Of The Team In "42"

John C. McGinley  has joined Brian Helgeland's Jackie Robinson biopic "42" says Variety.



The film will chronicle how the then Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) and Robinson (newcomer Chadwick Boseman) broke baseball's color barrier in 1947.

Helgeland will direct from the script he wrote--after gaining the trust of Robinson's family.

McGinley will play the role of Red Barber the iconic radio broadcaster for the team.
Chris Meloni will play Leo Durocher, who was the Dodgers manager and an avid supporter of Robinson who saw him through the racism he encountered from crowds and sometimes frrom his own dugout. Ryan Merriman will play Dixie Walker, the Dodgers right fielder who opposes his new teammate at first but becomes his supporter. Nicole Beharie has been cast as the famed African-American baseballer's wife Rachel Brad Beyer will play Kirby Higbe, the Dodgers pitcher and the main proponent of a petition against playing with Robinson. Toby Huss will play Clyde Sukeforth, a coach who played an integral role in scouting and signing Robinson. T.R. Knight will play Harold Parrott, the Dodgers traveling secretary who has to deal with the repercussions of housing once Robinson joins the team.

Thomas Tull will produce the film.

Production kicks off this month in Chattanooga and Atlanta.

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