In 2005, Steve Lopez of the L.A. Times followed the life of former Julliard student Nathaniel Ayers as he survived on the streets of skid row, playing beautiful music on a dirty violin with only two strings. The initial article brought offers of donations, including a cello, Ayers’ preferred instrument. Lopez used the donated instruments to gradually guide Ayers into regular visits to a treatment center, hoping to convince him to accept help for the schizophrenia that had caused the promising musician to drop out of Julliard many years earlier. The story behind that series of articles has been turned into a screenplay, The Soloist, with Jamie Foxx signed on for the role of Ayers and Robert Downey Jr. as Lopez. Foxx, a classically trained pianist as his successful portrayal of Ray Charles demonstrated, is taking cello lessons in preparation.