Report: NBC Finds Actress to Play Lynch (The Movie)

The Miami Herald ^ | Thursday, Aug 07, 2003

[demlosers]

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - NBC television has hired actress Laura Regan to play former POW Jessica Lynch for its upcoming TV movie on her rescue in Iraq, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Regan starred in last year's horror movie "They."

"Saving Jessica Lynch" will focus less on Lynch's story and more on the Iraqi lawyer who told American soldiers where they could find Lynch, NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker has said.

The movie's expected to be ready to air during the November "sweeps" or ratings period.

The film is being made without Lynch's participation. NBC has a deal with the lawyer, Mohammed Odeh al-Rehaief, who mapped out Lynch's location for U.S. Marines.

The film also is relying on information in the public domain.

A 20-year-old Army supply clerk from West Virginia, Lynch was captured March 23 after her 507th Maintenance Company convoy was ambushed in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah. She was rescued from a hospital in the city on April 1 after al-Rehaief alerted U.S. forces.

Lynch recently ended a long hospitalization in Washington, D.C., has yet to talk publicly about her experience. News reports have tried to fill in the blanks but questions remain, including about how the rescue was conducted.

The NBC movie is being revised to reflect the latest information, Zucker told the Television Critics Association.

[hunyb]

Hey, how'd you get that pic of my brother in law?! HA

[mtxes]

Why don't they just edit together all the news reports and call it a movie?

More real than the real....

[countrydummy]

Jessica and family have refused all deals for a movie and want no part of one! She put herself in harms way! Get a life!

[Ruth A.]

I would have thought they would have chosen Reese Witherspoon or someone more mainstream.

I suppose they are getting this on the cheap and expecting to rake in the bucks.

[Young Werther]

Excuse me but isn't that a Kerry Kampaign Klip!

[Ruth A.]

When she signed the Viacom deal that gave her a show on MTV a book and a tv movie, she lost all of my respect.

I may be out of the loop, but I haven't heard anything about this. Sources, please.

[Deb]

Hahaha! Good one.

There's also talk of a first-look two-picture deal at Warners.

[countrydummy]

When she signed the Viacom deal that gave her a show on MTV a book and a tv movie

Links to these news reports please!

[exile]

You know who'd be really good in this flick? Laurie Dhue. (actually I just have a thing for her)

[veronica]

There's also talk of a first-look two-picture deal at Warners.

Heh heh. :)

[GoRepGo]

[Deb]

Oh, you boys and Laurie Dhue. I don't know a single man who doesn't go weak in the knees over Laurie. Of course, she is an improvement over Bobbi Battista.

[Delbert]

I thought the same thing...OMG!! an Actress that plays Lurch! She must be ugleeeeeee!

[countrydummy]

Well, ok, but please don't post statements like that if you can't back them up...please!

[Diddle E. Squat]

Looks like she should actually be playing Karen Carpenter...

[countrydummy]

My point is....Jessica and her family don't think her story is any different....thus please refrain from bashing Jessica....bash the damn media and what they are trying to do! Please!

[countrydummy]

She choose to be there? No! She was not to have been on the front lines, nor was her division! They made a grave misclaculation and ended up in a place they were not supposed to be in the first place!