British actor Damian Lewis is to play the controversial former mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford.

The star has been cast in Run This Town, a film which The Hollywood Reporter says is currently shooting in the Canadian city.

Lewis told a reporter for Kit Magazine that he had been fitted for an intricate prosthetic covering his face and head in preparation for the role.

He did not divulge many other details but it is thought the movie is about a journalist who attempts to uncover a scandal involving Ford.

Image: Rob Ford admitted to smoking crack cocaine

Ford was mayor from 2010 to 2014 but his career was hit by a number of controversies and he struggled with alcohol and drug addiction.


He admitted smoking crack cocaine after a video was seized by police during a guns and gang investigation in the city.

He died from cancer in March 2016 aged 46.

Lewis, 47, is most famous for his role as Nicholas Brody in Homeland.

More recently he has starred in the Sky Atlantic series Billions which has just finished shooting its third season.