Newcomer Diego Gonzalez Boneta Tapped to Play Drew in Rock of Ages Film

A little known 20-year-old Mexican-born actor, Diego Gonzalez Boneta, has nabbed the coveted role lead role of Drew in Adam Shankman’s forthcoming big-screen adaptation of Rock of Ages, according to nymag.com. Boneta joins a starry cast that includes Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx, Alec Baldwin as rock club owner Dennis Dupree, Julianne Hough as Kansas-transplant Sherrie, Mary J. Blige as strip club owner Justice and Paul Giamatti as manager of Stacee’s band.

Boneta began his career on Mexican TV and sang in a boy band, releasing a the single “Perdido En Ti (Losing Me)” in 2008. In America, he has been featured in 90210, Pretty Little Liars and the TV movie Mean Girls 2.

Rock of Ages is set in 1987 on the Sunset Strip, where small town girl Sherrie meets a big city rocker at the Bourbon Room, L.A.’s most famous rock club. Their love story is told through the hits of Journey, Bon Jovi, Styx, Pat Benatar, Foreigner, Twisted Sister, Asia, Whitesnake and many more. The Broadway musical, which re-opens on March 24 the Helen Hayes Theatre, received five Tony nominations (including Best Musical) after opening on April 7, 2009.

Shankman’s film will have a script by librettist Chris D’Arienzo has reportedly gotten a rewrite from Michael Arndt, who penned Little Miss Sunshine. The movie is expected to begin filming in Florida on May 19, and will hit movie theaters on June 1, 2012.