'Bachelor' Gia cast as Ava Gardner

Bachelor star Gia Allemand has been cast as Ava Gardner in an upcoming biopic about actor Gianni Russo.

According to a statement on the actor's official website, he hand-picked the swimsuit model to play Gardner in the upcoming movie produced by Brett Ratner and directed by George Gallo Jr.

"It's a small role. Gia looks a lot like Ava, but it's really the passion that she had that convinced me to cast her," he said.

Allemand - who appeared on Jake Pavelka's season of The Bachelor and this summer's all-star Bachelor Pad - added that she has read Gardner's biography twice and had pursued Russo for the role.

She said: "After I heard about Mr Russo signing on a napkin for The Godfather, I recited Ava's whole life to him until he agreed to cast me and then I immediately asked him to write our agreement on a napkin!"

Russo starred as Carlo Rizzi in The Godfather before going on to appear in more than 40 films and enjoy success as a singer. The biopic will reportedly also focus on his alleged organised crime connections and friendships with stars including Frank Sinatra.

The movie will reportedly begin filming in January 2011.