Kwanten: 'Playing Manson is a challenge'

Ryan Kwanten has admitted that playing Charles Manson in the upcoming film The Family will be a challenge.

The True Blood star told MTV News that he finds the idea of portraying the convicted murderer to be a daunting task.

"It's going to be quite a challenge," he said. "[Manson] is undoubtedly a huge iconic figure and not necessarily for the best of deeds."

The actor further explained that he plans to access the more volatile aspects of his own personality to help him capture Manson's essence on screen.

He stated: "it's going to be tapping into sort of dark sides of myself and obviously trying to find out as much as you can and then using what's going to be beneficial in making the film."

The movie's director Scott Kosar previously promised that the biopic will not be a slasher film.

Production on The Family is expected to begin in 2011.