Jamie Lee Curtis to produce film about gay baseball icon
Pete May March 4, 2014
Jamie Lee Curtis is set to produce a film based on the life of gay former baseball player Glenn Burke.
The film called 'Out at Home: the Glenn Burke Story' will follow the life of Burke, a Major League Baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Oakland A's in the late 70s.
While playing, Burke came out to team mates and management, He did not come out publicly until 1982 – once he had ended playing professionally.
The film comes at a time when a number of high profile US athletes have come out recently, including NFL hopeful Michael Sam, ,and before that Jason Collins of the NBA.
Curtis said: "With Michael Sam's brave and bold statement, he joins the trifecta of American sports – Glenn Burke, MLB; Jason Collins, NBA; Michael Sam, NFL – dealing with gay athletes, and forcing open the door permanently".
Ross Katz, best known for producing Lost In Translation, will be working on the biopic, producing the film alongside Curtis as well as developing the script that will be based on Burkes' memoirs from 1995.
More: baseball, films, Gay, Jamie Lee Curtis, US