Academy Award winner Kevin Costner in talks to play a former U.S. president in new United Nations TV series
Academy Award winner Kevin Costner is reportedly in talks to play former United States President Bill Clinton in 'United', an upcoming TV series about the United Nations. As per a Deadline report, Leonardo DiCaprio is also in talks for a role in the series, being produced by Appian Way. The 'United' storyline will focus on the joint intervention involving the Clinton administration and the governments of several other member countries representing the United Nations in the 1999 East Timor independence struggle.
Alongside Costner and DiCaprio, it has also been reported that Chukwudi Iwuji of 'Play Dirty' fame might portray former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. The upcoming show has been created and developed by David Raymond. In his capacity as a partner to the Creative Community Outreach sponsored by the United Nations, Raymond has worked with former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and was a witness to several real-life UN missions. The crux of the narrative will highlight the resilience of the human spirit and international cooperation in the face of armed suppression.
To narratively focus on the events of the 1999 UN Mission to East Timor, 'United' is likely to be well-suited to provide audiences with a glimpse into the long-standing conflict that marked East Timor's history in the second half of the previous century. A Portuguese colony until 1975, East Timor asserted its independence for a short amount of time before being taken over by Indonesia. This annexation had been supported by the then-President of the United States, Gerald Ford. In the aftermath of the annexation, East Timor's political stability began going downhill. The country found itself surrounded by widespread civil discontentment, famine, human rights violations, and armed suppression of dissent.
With the gradual weakening of Indonesia's grip, the population of East Timor was granted the right to have a referendum with the choice of either remaining a part of Indonesia or becoming an autonomous state. The referendum was organized by the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET). Despite considerable armed militias stirring up trouble, the referendum was finally held with excellent voter turnout. The results were in favour of East Timor's autonomy and independence. This was soon reversed by armed suppression once again, resulting in a massacre of about 1,400 people.
It was only after the International Force East Timor stepped in, led by Australia, that the violence ceased, and with time, East Timor transitioned into a sovereign state. Bill Clinton and his administration played a crucial role in bringing this about, particularly by coordinating with several other UN member states that supplied the boots on the ground and ensured that East Timor was able to retain its sovereignty.