August 19, 2008 --
NEIL Diamond spewing obscenities and shooting heroin? It nearly happened. In the upcoming bio, "He Is . . . I Say," David Wild reveals the famed singer-songwriter wanted to shed his squeaky-clean image by portraying Lenny Bruce in the 1974 flick "Lenny" and even did a successful screen test. "In just a few seconds, he somehow transformed himself into a believable dirty-mouthed, Constitution-defending comedian," writes Wild. But the part went to Dustin Hoffman, who got an Oscar nomination. Diamond's acting career turned to toast after his woeful turn as "The Jazz Singer" six years later.
