'Rock of Ages' Movie Casts Will Forte as New Character (Exclusive)

Saturday Night Live actor Will Forte is joining the all-star cast of Rock of Ages, New Line's adaptation of the Broadway musical being directed by Adam Shankman.

Forte joins a cast that includes Tom Cruise, Malin Akerman, Alec Baldwin, Bryan Cranston, Mary J. Blige, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Julianne Hough, Catherine Zeta-Jones and newcomer Diego Gonzalez Boneta.

Ages tells the story, replete with hair-band music, of a small-town girl (Hough) who comes to Hollywood for the 1980s music scene and is nearly destroyed by it. Although she falls for a budding musician named Drew (Boneta), she also catches the eye of Stacee Jaxx (Cruise), an arrogant rocker at the height of his career. She ends up as a stripper in a club run by Blige but also finds true love at the end.

Forte is playing Mitch Miley, the head anchor of a network news show. The part was not in the stage musical.

UTA and Mosaic-repped Forte is currently shooting I Hate You Dad opposite Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg. He will be seen in this fall's A Good Old Fashioned Orgy and also lends his voice to Fox's newest animated series, Allen Gregory.

Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com
Twitter: @Borys_Kit