Could Lindsay Lohan pull off playing Elizabeth Taylor?

Could Lindsay Lohan get her act together in 2012? The disgraced tabloid staple — who most recently made headlines for a nude Playboy spread and a slew of court hearings — may be launching her umpteenth attempt at a career comeback. The Mean Girls star is reportedly in talks to portray cinema icon Elizabeth Taylor in the planned Lifetime original movie Elizabeth & Richard: A Love Story, which was announced last May. The telefilm would follow the epic, combative romance of the renowned Hollywood couple, and mark Lohan's first major acting gig in two years. Would TMZ's favorite stalkee succeed at portraying the glamorous Oscar winner?

She may shock us: The knee-jerk reaction to this curious bit of potential casting is, "Wait — what?" says Liz Kelly Nelson at Zap2it. But the two actresses have much in common, and the Mean Girls star may just have the chops and life experience to pull it off. Like Lohan, Taylor began her Hollywood career at a young age, finding herself the target of endless tabloid fascination. And while Taylor "never ended up in the pokey," she also "made plenty of missteps along her road to icon status" and lived life in a glaring spotlight. What sounds like stunt casting may actually be a wise choice.

"Lindsay Lohan to play Elizabeth Taylor for Lifetime?"

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

It's a win-win situation: This casting would benefit both Lohan and the network, says Kara Warner at MTV. Given the media circus that follows all things Lohan, her involvement has the potential to create ratings gold for Lifetime. And though starring in Lifetime movies still carries a slight stigma, Lohan "could use something positive in her professional career" — even if it is a telefilm on a cable network that hasn't quite overcome its cheesy roots. Given Lohan's fascination with Hollywood icons like Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, expect the actress to give her all to the role and pull off an impressive performance.

"Lindsay Lohan in talks to play Elizabeth Taylor in TV movie"

Don't set your Tivos yet: "Let's get real for a second," says The FAB Life. Lohan is never going to star in this film. In 2011, casting rumors had Lohan taking on four iconic roles — Linda Lovelace, Victoria Gotti, Sharon Tate, and Carrie in a remake of the Stephen King film; none of the speculation amounted to anything. "If Lohan appeared in even half the films she gets mentioned in connection with, her career would look completely different… and much less depressing." That's not to mention that the actress is a little out of the loop — she hasn't acted in a movie since 2010's Machete.

"Lindsay Lohan rumored for Elizabeth Taylor movie"