"The Last Tycoon" stars bring world of F. Scott Fitzgerald to the screen
Amazon's new show "The Last Tycoon" is Hollywood's latest attempt to adapt F. Scott Fitzgerald's work. The show stars Matt Bomer as Monroe Stahr, a successful Hollywood producer during the Great Depression. Stahr struggles with moving on after his wife's death, clashing with studio head Pat Brady, played by Kelsey Grammer, and making artistic compromises for viewers in Nazi Germany.
Bomer and co-star Dominique McElligott, who plays his love interest, waitress Kathleen Moore, told CBS News that the show is different from other Fitzgerald adaptations, including the 1976 film adaptation of "The Last Tycoon," starring Robert De Niro, because it captures the essence of the novel as opposed to a more literal interpretation.
"F. Scott is notoriously difficult to translate to the screen," explained Bomer. "His prose is so rich and ambiguous, and it can't be parlayed onto the screen. So hopefully, wisely, they just used it as the nugget to start out with."
Lily Collins, who plays Pat's daughter Celia Brady, said that the vibrant costumes, designed by Janie Bryant, who also did the costumes for "Mad Men," helped set the tone for the actors.
"The second I put them on, they transformed me," Collins said of Celia's clothes. "I felt like I was Celia right away, and it really helps inform you as an actor where your character is going and how to walk, talk."
Bomer said, "There's so much about it that's so great, to make it a more immersive experience -- the costumes, the incredible costume design -- but a lot of it was watching the ladies. They were just having a field day."
McElligott added, "I think with period shows, you immerse yourself in that world … it's a richer experience for everybody watching and being a part of it."
"The Last Tycoon" is available to stream on Amazon.
