The highly anticipated new film J. Edgar opens this weekend. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Judi Dench and Armie Hammer, it explores the public and private life of J. Edgar Hoover — one of the most powerful, controversial and enigmatic figures of the 20th century. Hoover was considered the face of law enforcement in America for almost fifty years. From the time he became acting director of the Bureau of Investigation (predecessor to the Federal Bureau of Investigation) in 1924, to the end of his tenure there at his death in 1972, Hoover was both feared and admired, reviled and revered. Prior to this new film Hoover has been portrayed many times before in both film and on stage. The many film portrayals include Vincent Gardenia in Kennedy (1983); Dolph Sweet in the miniseries King (1978); Pat Hingle in Citizen Cohn (1992); Kevin Dunn in Chaplin (1992); and Bob Hoskins in Nixon (1995).