"Let's just say, I'm open”: Dave Franco addresses playing Luigi Mangione’s character

Actor Dave Franco has shared his thoughts on potentially playing Luigi Mangione's character in a movie. This comes amid his resemblance to Mangione, who's been charged with an alleged murder.

Luigi Mangione was arrested in December 2024 and was charged with the alleged shooting of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson. As soon as he went viral, people pointed out his resemblance to actor Dave Franco.

Franco has now responded to whether he would play Mangione on screen. He was on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on August 5 when asked the question. He answered:

"Oh how do I answer this? No one has approached me about it yet, I'll say that. This is something that more people in my life reached out about this exact thing than anything else that has ever happened. Let's just say, I'm open, if it's the right people, and let's leave it at that."

Dave Franco is known for his roles in movies like the Now You See Me franchise and 21 Jump Street. He also starred in hit shows like Scrubs and The Studio. His latest movie, Together, was released on July 30 this year, in which he works opposite his wife and actor, Alison Brie.

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More about Luigi Mangione's case and the demand for death penalty

Insurance CEO Murder Suspect Luigi Mangione Is Extradited To New York (Image Source: Getty)

Mangione is scheduled to appear in court in New York on September 16 for his case. He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of murder and stalking. However, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement on April 1 of this year, urging federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty. Her statement read:

“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”

Magnione's attorneys, however, alleged that Bondi's statement is an attempt to attract more attention, according to The New York Times. They stated that the Attorney General “publicly released her order so she would have ‘content’ for her newly launched Instagram account."

Mangione's attorney, Karen Agnifilo, also accused the prosecutors of illegally obtaining her client's medical records in July this year. As reported by CBS News, Agnifilo's letter to the judge read:

"The District Attorney falsely made up a court date-May 23, 2025-and drafted a fraudulent subpoena that if Aetna did not provide documents on that date, it would be in contempt of Court.

"Because the District Attorney has taken possession of, and at least partially reviewed, Luigi Mangione's confidential doctor-patient privileged and HIPAA protected medical records, and further because the District Attorney misused the subpoena process to obtain these protected records, this Court should impose an appropriate sanction after conducting a full evidentiary hearing to uncover the extent and nature of the significant privilege and HIPAA violation intentionally caused by the prosecutors."

Manhattan DA's office stated that an alleged error by Aetna caused them to receive the confidential information.

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