For a while it seemed that every young starlet in Hollywood was vying for the part of Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming adaptation of the literary classic The Great Gatsby. Director Luhrman has finally announced that Carey Mulligan won the coveted role.
Leonardo DiCaprio has been cast as the wealthy and mysterious Jay Gatsby, and Tobey Maquire will play Nick Carraway. The story is set in the 1920’s, and Daisy is Gatsby’s long-lost love, now married to another man.
Mulligan has made a quick name for herself by appearing in some critically acclaimed roles. She was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in An Education as Jenny, a naive teenager who is seduced by an older playboy. She has also received accolades for her gut-wrenching performance in this year’s Never Let Let Me Go.
She beat out Scarlett Johansson and Blake Lively for the role of Daisy.
The Great Gatsby has been filmed several times, but the 1974 version is most well known. It was written by Francis Ford Coppola and starred Robert Redford as Gatsby, Mia Farrow as Daisy, and Sam Waterson as Nick.
