How to be cast as Lance Armstrong in a biopic

Hey there, aspiring actor. Are you looking to get some critical acclaim by starring in a biopic? Well, here's one way to do it, courtesy of Stephen Frears, the director of The Program (and The Queen and High Fidelity), who cast Ben Foster as his convincing Lance Armstrong.

Have someone put a good word in.

Frears said he only thought to cast Foster because someone he trusted told him to. That one recommendation convinced the filmmaker to invite Foster for a meeting.

Act like the subject of the film.

Frears didn't actually give Foster a head's up as to why he invited him in for a chat. But, at the mention of Lance Armstrong, Foster "jumped on the sofa and went into a famous picture of Lance," Frears said. "I don't know how you audition people," but that was pretty perfect.

That picture? Frears thinks it's the one Armstrong tweeted of himself sprawled on the couch in front of his Tour de France jerseys.

No, REALLY act like him.

So Foster was cast. To prepare for the role, Foster actually took performance-enhancing drugs. "You always think there's a more interesting story going on" on set than in the movie, Frears said, who didn't know his actor doped for the part. Note: Don't actually do this.

Then deliver.

Once have the lead role you have to deliver, like Foster does.

Though The Program isn't nearly as suspenseful and insightful as stellar documentary The Armstrong Lie, Foster gives his all in the movie as a convincing Armstrong. Foster channels the fallen athlete's arrogance, tenacity and rage from his rise to his confessing-to-Oprah downfall. When the camera just shows Foster's profile, he looks exactly like Armstrong.

In fact, we were so impressed by the resemblance, that we asked Frears if some of those shots were actually the man himself. Nope, the real Lance is only seen in a few TV cycling clips.