Nick Nolte joins cast of Gangster Squad

It was way back in 1992 that Nick Nolte was named the Sexiest Man Alive(dude was a former model), and for awhile there it seemed like he was in every hit movie that came out. But it turned out to almost be like his own personal Madden Curse. Sure he had a couple of amazing turns after that(Affliction, The Thin Red Line), but his career seemed to peter out when it came to the type of national recognition he was accustomed to receiving. But lately Nolte has been on an absolute tear, and while he may not be the star he once was, his name still holds a lot of weight.

Nolte has just been added to the cast Gangster Squad, the crime pic starring Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Emma Stone, Anthony Mackie, Josh Brolin, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Pena and more. Guh. Written by ex-cop Will Beal and directed by Ruben Fleischer(Zombieland), the film is based on a series of LA Times articles about a specialized LAPD unit in the 1940s designed to curb the influence of the east coast mob on the west coast. Sean Penn is playing gangster Mickey Cohen, with Ryan Gosling and Josh Brolin heading up the team designed to bring him down. Nolte will play Bill Parker, the uncorruptable, Purple Heart-wearing LAPD chief who puts the team together.

It's been a busy 2011 already for Nolte, having had roles in the remake of Arthur and voicing one of the animals in Zookeeper. He'll be seen as the heart of the MMA flick, Warrior, in the next couple of weeks. You'll definitely want to check that one out. He's also lined up roles in Robert Redford's The Company You Keep, and opposite Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez in Parker.  [Deadline]