Josh Hartnett will make his professional stage debut, stepping into the shoes of Tom Cruise for the role of Charlie Babbit in “Rain Man,” according to the BBC.
Hartnett, 29, will star in the London West End version of the Oscar-winning film when it bows in September.
“It has always been my intent to work on the London stage,” Hartnett said.
The play will also star British actor Adam Godley (“Love Actually;” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory;” “The X-Files: I Want To Believe”) as Charlie’s autistic brother, Raymond – a role made famous by Dustin Hoffman in the 1988 film.
Hoffman’s portrayal of Raymond earned him the Oscar for best actor. The movie also took home the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director (Barry Levinson) and Best Original Sceenplay.
According to the BBC, Hartnett decided to make the leap to the stage when he read the “complex and charismatic character” of Charlie Babbit.
On the big screen, Hartnett was last seen in the 2007 vampire thriller “30 Days of Night.”
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