Billy Crudup to star in '20th Century Women'

Los Angeles: Actor Billy Crudup has been cast as the lead in "20th Century Women", which follows a single mother named Dorothea as she struggles to raise her troubled teenage son.

"Beginners" helmer Mike Mills has written and will direct the film. Annette Bening, Elle Fanning and Greta Gerwig play the female leads.

The film is set in 1979. While Bening, 57, will play Dorothea and Crudup, 47, will be seen as one of her boarders.

He rents the bungalow out behind the main house. A former hippie, who now seems like a bit of slacker, with no real direction in life, he is the hunky handyman type ? a skilled mechanic, carpenter, plumber and electrician ? but he is got a sweet side.

That makes him appealing to Dorothea and the other ladies.