A Hollywood screenwriter says he'd like Peter Coyote to play U.S. Rep. Walter Jones.

Richard Lasser is trying to recruit top Hollywood talent for a play about the fictional impeachment trial of President Bush over the Iraq war.

He told Dome that he would like to cast Coyote, a character actor best known for his role as the prosecutor in "The Jagged Edge." But if TV and movie stars aren't available, he'd look for local talent in Washington, D.C.

The play is currently scheduled to premiere at a theater on the campus of George Washington University in January, shortly after the Congressional recess.

Lasser said he and co-writer Bruce Fein wrote the Jones character to be a strong advocate for truth. He compared his role in the play to U.S. Sen. Howard Baker during Watergate, who famously asked what the president knew and when he knew it.

"Having a Walter Jones is about as close as I think we're going to get in this day and age," he said.

U.S. Rep. Walter Jones is a real character.

The Farmville Republican is one of five major characters in a play about the impeachment of President Bush written by Washington lawyer Bruce Fein and Hollywood screenwriter Richard Lasser.

The two said they met with Jones and Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler in September to talk about what role he might play in an actual impeachment trial. They also wanted to make the play, called "I," as realistic as possible.

"I wanted to get an idea of his cadence," Lasser said. "I wanted to get an idea of his comportment, of his belief system, and what kinds of questions he would pose to witnesses. A lot of the questions that we put in his mouth are ones he said he would like to ask if he had the opportunity."

Lasser said Jones told him he would not introduce an impeachment resolution, but he would support one if it was introduced. He also wrote about the meeting on his blog about the play.