Hari Nef to Play Trans Icon Candy Darling in Biopic

Hari Nef, who’s most known for her roles in Transparent and the upcoming cursed live action Barbie movie, is set to play Candy Darling in a biopic written by Stephanie Kornick, the writer behind Transparent.

Darling was a trans actress born in Queens in 1944 who comes from a troubled past, growing up with alcoholic parents and being bullied at her school. She was discovered by Andy Warhol after he’d seen her act in Glamour, Glory, and Gold alongside Jackie Curtis, with Warhol subsequently casting her in movies like Flesh and Women In Revolt.

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Darling died tragically early in 1974 at the age of 29, but her memory would live on, becoming an icon to the transgender community before the word “transgender” even entered the public consciousness. She’d go on to be incredibly important to the music world as well, becoming the muse for songs by St. Vincent and the Velvet Underground.

Nef said that Darling has been a personal hero for her and that she’s eager to take on the role, telling Deadline, “The dream was always to play Candy, and it is the honor of my life to get the chance to do it. Darling bridged the gap between her dreams and a reality stacked so consummately against her — a transsexual glamour girl and indie icon reigning over Warhol’s Manhattan and Nixon’s America.”

Nef will be talking to Darling's friends while also having a hefty amount of archived materials and diaries to sort through as she prepares for her role in the upcoming movie. Christian D. Bruun, one of the producers for the movie, told Deadline, “Having Hari join team Candy is exciting for us in every way imaginable. We all knew that Candy’s story deserved to be told on film, but it’s truly amazing to imagine what Hari will bring to the role and we’re incredibly excited about embarking on this journey with her.”

Photo via Getty/ Melodie Jeng