Michael K. Williams To Play Ol' Dirty Bastard In "Dirty White Boy" Film

by Steven J. Horowitz

Michael K. Williams is slated to depict Ol' Dirty Bastard in an upcoming film.

Michael K. Williams has been tapped to play Ol' Dirty Bastard in the film Dirty White Boy.
Production company Parts & Labor (Beginners) will produce the flick about his life with Ocean Side Pictures' Todd Hagopian. Williams, best known for roles on HBO's "The Wire" and "Boardwalk Empire," will star in the pic, directed by first-time Joaquin Baca-Asay and based on the screenplay by Brent Hoff.
The film follows the true story of 22-year-old VH1 employee Jarred Weisfeld who "becomes friends with the notorious star and it follows their misadventures right up until the time of Ol' Dirty Bastard's untimely death in 2004." ODB's mother Cherry Jones, as well as Weisfeld, have given the picture their full support.
"We both knew full well who Ol' Dirty Bastard was but this story completely floored us. As filmmakers, we knew that this would make a great film and that Jarred Weisfeld would offer an actor a complicated and compelling character to play. This felt to us like 'Risky Business' and '8 Mile,' with equal elements of darkness, humor, and humanity," said Hagopian. "We are thrilled to have the genius of Joaquin Baca-Asay behind the camera, directing this incredibly original screenplay by Brent Hoff. I know Michael K. Williams will leave audiences completely in awe as Russell Jones, the man behind the character ‘Ol' Dirty Bastard."