US entertainer Jerry Lewis has signed on to play his first leading role in more than 25 years in the big-screen drama Max Rose, sources told Variety.

U.S. entertainer Jerry Lewis has signed on to play his first leading role in more than 25 years in the big-screen drama Max Rose, sources told Variety. The independent film about a widower reflecting on his life was written and is to be directed by Daniel Noah.

Comedian Jerry Lewis postponed a July engagement to perform live after suffering a heart attack Sunday that a casino spokeswoman described as "mild."

Jerry Lewis, who played "The Nutty Professor" in 1963, has a wacky new scheme: staging the film as a Broadway musical. The first show is planned for January at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, where the 80-year-old comedian has a houseboat, he said.