Weather 
Tony Award winner David Hyde Pierce is taking on the role of iconic theater artist Sir John Gielgud in Vivien & The Florist, a new indie film centering on stage and screen actress Vivien Leigh.
According to Deadline, the movie has just completed production in Philadelphia, led by Carla Gugino as Leigh. The movie takes place during the winter of 1966 as the actress prepares for her role in the Broadway production of Chekhov’s Ivanov, helmed by Gielgud, while also facing bipolar disorder.
The production would ultimately be the final stage credit for Leigh before her death a year later. She was known for her onscreen performances as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind and Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, in addition to her Tony-winning role in the Broadway musical Tovarich.
Vivien & The Florist also stars Jack Davenport as Sir Laurence Olivier, who was Leigh’s former husband, and Matthew Modine, who plays the Philadelphia florist, Penn. Maria Christina Oliveras, Eoin Macken, Charlie McDermott, and Annie Grant round out the ensemble.
The movie is directed by Orange Is the New Black star Nick Sandow, from a screenplay by Jayce Bartok, who also serves as a producer alongside Lauren Hale-Rieckhoff, Kelli Reilly, Tiffany Bartok, and Shawn Arani. A release date has yet to be announced.
David Hyde Pierce is an Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor and director, last seen on stage in Pirates! The Penzance Musical. Previous stage credits include Stephen Sondheim’s final musical, Here We Are at The Shed, along with his Broadway acting credits, including Hello, Dolly! (Tony nomination), Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Tony nomination), Curtains (Tony Award), Spamalot, La Bête, Accent on Youth, The Heidi Chronicles, and Christopher Durang’s Beyond Therapy.
Photo Credit: Bruce Glikas
