Barry Pepper Stars in Dale Earnhardt's Bio
February 26, 2004
LOS ANGELES, Feb 26, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- "Battlefield Earth" actor Barry Pepper will star in ESPN's "3: The Dale Earnhardt Story," about the NASCAR legend killed in a 2001 Daytona 500 crash.

Film production will begin this summer in Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C., with a scheduled December release, Zap2it.com reported Thursday.

Pepper, who also will co-produce the film, will portray Earnhardt, who was simultaneously one of the most beloved and most hated NASCAR drivers. Earnhardt left a legacy in his son, Dale Jr., who won this year's race on the same track where his father was killed.

The senior Earnhardt becomes the second sports legend on Pepper's resume. He played Roger Maris in Billy Crystal's HBO original "61." Pepper's other film credits include "Saving Private Ryan," "The Green Mile" and "25th Hour."

"Barry will capture the intensity that was Dale Earnhardt and convey the depth of this fascinating and complex character," said Mark Shapiro, ESPN executive vice president, programming and production. "He has excelled in major feature films and sports fans will remember his leading role in '61.'"

__________________
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."
- Voltaire (1694-1778)

"I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them."
- Ian L. Fleming (1908-1964)