‘Sherlock ‘ actor Benedict Cumberbatch on Monday donned a navy suit, a green tie and a green carnation pinned to his lapel as he took on the role of Billy Bulger, brother of infamous South Boston mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger, for the film ‘Black Mass,’ which has been filming throughout Boston and its surrounding communities for the past two months.
Cumberbatch was joined by Johnny Depp, who stars as Whitey, in the city of Lynn’s Central Square, which over the past several days has been transformed to look like South Boston in the late 1970s. The area was used to shoot scenes taking place at Southie’s renowned St. Patrick’s Day Parade, complete withfloats, banners, bands and bagpipes.
Cumberbatch, whose character was a well-liked politician and former president of Boston University, marshaled the parade with agold scepter in hand.
Depp, with slicked back hair and wearing Whitey’s signature leather jacket, white t-shirt and large sunglasses, appeared to be a bystander at the parade.
According to IMDB, “Black Mass,” directed by Scott Cooper, is the true story of Billy Bulger, Whitey Bulger, FBI agent John Connelly and the FBI’s witness protection program that was created by J. Edgar Hoover.
A plot summary on the site states, “John Connolly and James “Whitey” Bulger grew up together on the streets of South Boston. Decades later, in the late 1970s, they would meet again. By then, Connolly was a major figure in the FBI’s Boston office and Whitey had become godfather of the Irish Mob. What happened between them – a dirty deal to trade secrets and take down Boston’s Italian Mafia in the process – would spiral out of control, leading to murders, drug dealing, racketeering indictments, and, ultimately, to Bulger making the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List.”
In addition to Cumberbatch and Depp, the film stars Dakota Johnson and Juno Temple. It is slated for an October 2015 release.
