Ethan Hawke is the last piece to the upcoming biopic for legendary jazz trumpeter Chet Baker titled Born to be Blue.
Production has already begun on the film, Deadline reports, that will chronicle Baker's career from his early success in the '50s to the darker, drug-fueled days in the '60s and his eventual return to fame in the '70s. Hawke will portray the jazz great in the film, which will also feature Carmen Ejojo (The Purge: Anarchy) as the love interest who helps Baker get back on track and Callum Keith Rennie (Memento).
According to Allmusic, Baker's big break came when he got to play a few gigs with Charlie Parker in 1952, eventually joining The Gerry Mulligan Quartet. The trumpeter played on the quartet's highly regarded rendition of "My Funny Valentine." After becoming addicted to heroin in the '50s, the '60s were a string of constant arrests and no notable releases from the artist. Although he continued using drugs until his death in 1988, Baker had a career resurgence in the late '70s and spent the rest of his life performing primarily in Europe.
Unfortunately, as Allmusic points out, "Baker's drug addiction caused him to lead a disorganized and peripatetic life, his constant need for cash requiring him to accept many ill-advised recording offers, while his undependability prevented him from making long-term commitments to record labels. As a result, his discography is extensive and wildly uneven."
The film is set for a 2015 release.
Hawke has had an impressive year, appearing in the critically acclaimed Boyhood and directing/producing a documentary about piano teacher Seymour Bernstein.
