Keith Carradine

Los Angeles, April 18 (AP): Keith Carradine as George W. Bush?

US actor Carradine, who appeared in such cult Robert Altman films as Nashville and Thieves Like Us as well as on Broadway in The Will Rogers Follies, will portray the President in the American premiere of David Hare?s play about the lead-up to the American invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The drama, which will open on June 5 at the Mark Taper Forum, also stars Julian Sands as British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Preview performances begin on May 25.

Stuff Happens had its world premiere last September at London?s National Theatre, where it opened to positive reviews.

Hare based the play on public documents as well as his own imagination. The title comes from a comment made in April 2003 by Rumsfeld in response to looting in Baghdad: ?Stuff happens ... And it?s untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things.?