Emmy Award-winning actor Hank Azaria (The Simpsons) has joined the cast of HBO’s upcoming drama Wizard of Lies, based on the story of money fraudster Bernie Madoff.
Directed by Oscar winner Barry Levinson (Rain Man), the film stars Robert De Niro in the lead title role as Madoff, the disgraced financer behind a Ponzi scheme that saw him imprisoned for fraud in 2009 for 150 years. Michelle Pfeiffer (The Family) is also in the film as Madoff’s wife, Ruth, as is Alessandro Nivola (A Most Violent Year) who plays Madoff’s son Mark, who committed suicide in 2010.
Azaria will play Madoff’s right-hand man in the scheme, Frank Dipascali, who called himself the “chief financial officer” for Madoff Investments Securities LLC. Dipascali was also convicted, but died of cancer before his sentencing was handed down.
The film is based on the book Wizard of Lies by Diana Henriques, as well as Laurie Sandell’s Truth and Consequences. Expect to see it on HBO in 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=qvTY7eXXIMg
Originally published September 11, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
