For someone who’s spent his entire career in a thrash metal band, James Hetfield seems to have a surprising fondness for playing law enforcement roles. After making his acting debut as a cop in the Ted Bundy biopic *Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile*, Hetfield is now gearing up for his role in the upcoming western thriller *The Thicket*.
This isn’t entirely fresh news—word of the movie first surfaced in March 2023, and the initial glimpse of Hetfield’s role was released online in late June. But it’s a new look for many of us, so it’s worth sharing.
As shown in the Facebook post below, *The Thicket* was produced for the streaming platform Tubi and filmed in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Hetfield stars alongside Levon Hawke, Esmé Creed-Miles, Juliette Lewis, Peter Dinklage, Gbenga Akinnagbe, and Leslie Grace.
The film is an adaptation of Joe R. Lansdale’s novel of the same name. While Hetfield’s role wasn’t initially disclosed, it’s now confirmed that he’s playing a lawman — a figure of authority in the lawless wild west. (So, does this mean that the phrase “ACAB” applies to Hetfield now? Let’s hope not!)
Director Elliott Lester, in an interview with Collider, mentioned that he was particularly keen on casting the Metallica frontman in the film, underlining how important it was to include Hetfield in the project.
