David Strathairn boards 'Lincoln'

By Adnan Tezer Jun 29, 2011, 19:14 GMT

David Strathairn has joined the cast of Touchstone's Abraham Lincoln biopic "Lincoln" to be directed by Steven Spielberg.

According to Variety, Daniel Day-Lewis has been cast as Abraham Lincoln with Sally Field playing Mary Todd Lincoln.

Strathairn will play William H. Seward, Lincoln's Secretary of State.

The other actors include Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hal Holbrook, James Spader, John Hawkes, Tim Blake Nelson, Bruce McGill, Joseph Cross, David Costabile, Byron Jennings, Dakin Matthews, Boris McGiver, Gloria Reuben, Jeremy Strong and David Warshofsky.

Spielberg is producing with Kathleen Kennedy.

Tony Kushner wrote the adaptation of Doris Kearns Goodwin's 2005 book "Team of Rivals," which looks at Lincoln's presidency between 1861 and 1865 with a focus on the three Cabinet members, Edward Bates (attorney general), Salmon Chase (secretary of the treasury) and William H. Seward (secretary of state), who ran against Lincoln in the 1860 election.

The film will also focus on Lincoln's ability to deal effectively with his political and personal conflicts during the Civil War.

Shooting will begin this fall in Virginia with a fall 2012 release date in mind.

Strathairn recently won an Emmy for the 2010 HBO film "Temple Grandin."

He also received an Oscar nomination for his work as Edward R. Murrow in George Clooney's "Good Night, and Good Luck."