Jonah Hill is set to play Jerry Garcia, the iconic 60’s guitarist, in the Grateful Dead biopic directed by Martin Scorsese, and new images from set show the 37-year-old actor looking practically unrecognizable with a bushy beard and slicked back, shoulder length hair. The film, which has yet to be titled, will chronicle the band’s rise to fame as well as the genre of psychedelic music forming around them.
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Dressed in a tye-dye sweat suit which was presumably not part of the costume, Hill smoked a cigarette, getting into character to play Garcia who died at the age of 53 from a heart attack after a lifetime of addiction struggles. Hill has a significant stake in the film, starring in the biopic while also acting as a producer.
Garcia was known for his mane of dark, unruly hair and matching beard which Hill has nailed effortlessly to channel the late rocker. The film has no release date as of yet but is in production with Apple. Scorsese is evidently a Deadhead himself, with this being the second production he has worked on spotlighting the band, the first of which was a documentary series released in 2017 titled Long Strange Trip.
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Hill kept the bushy beard and flowing locks for the red carpet premiere of his new film “Don’t Look Up,” stepping out with girlfriend Sarah Brady in matching pale blue Gucci suits and revealing his sizable chest tattoo. The pair looked thoroughly in love for their first red carpet appearance together, after taking their relationship public in September of this year.
The actor dyed his hair a bleach blonde back in February and has maintained the surfer-chic style, but will likely have to make the transition to darker hair to properly portray Garcia. The former guitarist, who passed away in 1995, is the only member of the band to have died, and the Grateful Dead disbanded shortly thereafter.
