Well before he died May 2, 1972 there were rumors floating around in high places speculating on the fact that Hoover was a closet homosexual as well as a cross dresser in private. Those facts may not show up much in this version of his life because director Cling Eastwood chose not to "quite go down that road". And perhaps he is correct because that would not have much of an impact on what the man did during his long tenure as director of the FBI. From March 22, 1935 when the Federal Bureau of Investigation came into being until the day he died in 1972 J. Edgar Hoover formed then ran that high powered agency with an iron fist. It was suggested he abused his powers by ostracizing certain individuals, even to the point of ruining their lives on a whim. However he had good reason in some cases to black list those who had committed crimes.tarring Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, This Boy's Life) as Hoover, Armie Hammer (The Social Network) as Clyde Tolson who was reported to be Hoover's lover and long time companion, Naomi Watts (2005's King Kong) is Helen Gandy, Hoover's personal secretary and the one who worked hard to destroy Hoover's own personal file after his death. Capably presented to us by Academy Award Winning Director Clint Eastwood.