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Dave Franco has responded to hype about him looking like Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Mangione was apprehended at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania where he was spotted eating a meal after a nationwide manhunt.
A thirsty social media circus ensued as Mangione garnered a passionate online following dedicated to admiration of his appearance and beliefs.
Superbad star Franco was caught up in the contentious furore as he drew comparisons to the notorious murder suspect.
“Has anyone approached you to play Luigi?” a Hollywood Reporter asked the actor during promotion for his new horror film, Together, in which he stars alongside his wife, Alison Brie.
“Anyone? Do you mean everyone?” Brie joked.
“I’ve never received more texts in my life about anything,” Franco revealed, but confirmed he had not been approached yet to play the role.
“Anyone who has my phone number has reached out about it.”
Mangione is currently awaiting trial while being held in a Pennsylvania jail where he faces a murder charge as an act of terrorism. He also faces charges for gun law violations in Pennsylvania. He has pled not guilty to the charges.
Thompson, 50, was shot dead on 4 December outside the New York Hilton Midtown. That launched a massive manhunt for the suspect who eluded police for nearly a week.
The computer science graduate was reported missing by his mother in the weeks before his arrest.
One of the suspect’s former classmates, Aaron Cranston, told The Post that since undergoing back surgery several months ago, he hadn’t been in touch with relatives since.
Mangione’s relatives broke their silence in a statement shared on X/Twitter by Mangione’s cousin, Nino, and said they were “shocked and devastated” by the arrest, offering their “prayers to the family of Brian Thompson”.
Police said they found a three-page manifesto in Mangione’s possession when he was arrested, which suggests he has “an ill will towards corporate America,” Joseph Kenny, NYPD’s chief of detective, told the press conference.
It reportedly said “these parasites had it coming” and “I do apologise for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done,” according to CNN, who cited a police official who has seen the document.
