MACHINE GUN KELLY On Playing TOMMY LEE In 'The Dirt': 'It Never Seemed Like He Was Tainted By The Ugliness Around Him'

Rapper Machine Gun Kelly (real name: Colson Baker) spoke to USA Today about playing MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee in the film adaptation of the group's biography, "The Dirt - Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band".

"The Dirt", which will premiere on March 22, was helmed by "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" director Jeff Tremaine. It was picked up by Netflix after being previously developed at Focus Features and before that at Paramount.

Machine Gun Kelly said that being in Tommy's presence "absolutely" helped him capture Lee's mannerisms and personality. "My first emotion that I revert to isn't happiness and I think his is, very much so," he said. "He's excitable. Everything to him is cool and there's something really beautiful about that. It never seemed like he was tainted by the ugliness around him."

Baker, who first read "The Dirt" when he was 13 ("It was my Bible," he claimed),also got pretty good doing Lee's signature drumstick twirling.

"I had that damn drumstick in my hand for four months straight, dude," he told USA Today. "I have giant calluses in between my middle finger and my index finger just spinning that damn stick. So I hope you enjoy the stick twirls in that movie."

"The Dirt" also stars Daniel Webber ("The Punisher") as singer Vince Neil, Douglas Booth as bassist Nikki Sixx and Iwan Rheon ("Game Of Thrones") as guitarist Mick Mars. Playing rock and roll legend Ozzy Osbourne in the film is actor-comedian Tony Cavalero, while Rebekah Graf ("The Amityville Murders", "Lycan") is playing actress Heather Locklear, ex-wife of Tommy Lee. The film was produced by LBI Entertainment's Julie Yorn and Rick Yorn, along with Erik Olsen and Amanda Adelson, who wrote the script.

"The Dirt" soundtrack will also arrive on March 22 and features a string of CRÜE classics, as well as three new songs and a cover of Madonna's "Like A Virgin". The first of the new tunes, "The Dirt (Est. 1981)", a collaboration with Machine Gun Kelly, was released last month.