Pretty much everyone in Hollywood thinks Lindsay Lohan is a losing bet, but that didn't stop the Liz & Dick peeps from casting her. And while working with her was a bit of a nightmare, the producer says, the struggle was worth it in the end.
"Producing a movie with Lindsay is not for the faint of heart," executive producer Larry Thompson told reporters while promoting the TV movie. "I turned 50 shades of white actually during the production."
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"We had serious challenges to deal with due to her probation and her history," Thompson explained. "Therefore we had to make a deal where there were pages and pages of 'what if' clauses. There never was a ‘what if she can act' clause. It was about, 'What if there is a car accident? What if there is a violation of her probation [and she's] incarcerated?' Those 'what ifs' were plenty. She might be the most insured actress who ever walked on a soundstage. We tried to insure ourselves against things that could and, in fact, did happen."
"I was financially at risk myself," said the producer, who said Lohan was apologetic when they had to take an insurance day after her June car accident. "It was a challenge."
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At the end of the day though, he says Lohan came through with the stellar performance they were counting on.
"Overall, my gosh, relative to the performance we got and the movie we were able to make because of her, the pain was worth the pleasure," he said. "And the audience is going to benefit from the risk we took and the reward that was gained."
"I know there are a lot of people out there who are naysayers, and I think they're gonna be shocked — and people who have believed in her, their belief is gonna be vindicated."
"People will see that Grant Bowler as Richard Burton just steals your heart and Lindsay Lohan breaks it," Thompson added. "I'm guardedly optimistic that the public will like the movie very much. I believe if everybody takes a deep breath and focuses on her artistry instead of her antics, they will enjoy a pretty riveting movie."
Judge for yourself when Liz & Dick premieres Sunday, Nov. 25, at 9/8c on Lifetime.