This post was prompted by the recent headlines about Halle Berry playing (and then not playing) Aretha Franklin. I couldn't see that, so I'm glad they didn't do it. I love Halle, but some roles, she's just not the right one for period. A lot of names have been tossed around on Twitter for playing Aretha...I've seen everyone from Jennifer Hudson to Taraji P. Henson mentioned. I loved Toure's suggestion of Queen Latifah. He also brought up the fact that the actress doesn't necessarily have to be able to sing to be able to play Aretha Franklin...This is true...although I'd prefer an actress that could sing to one that couldn't. As far as the weight thing...Aretha Franklin has been different sizes at different ages...Beyonce wasn't/isn't the spitting image of Etta James either, but somehow they made that work in Cadillac Records. I wouldn't even mind if they chose an unknown to play Aretha Franklin, but I'm not the majority and in the end, and I've said this time and time again, it all boils down to $$$$.
Toure' also mentioned wanting to see a Marvin Gaye biopic...They wait too long, anyone who was even remotely feasible will be too old to play the part (I wanted Jesse L. Martin for this so badly...I think this will go down the same road that the Hendrix picture Laurence Fishburne was supposed to be in did, and that's a shame.)
I'm curious to see what happens with the Tupac film bio too. I remember Anthony Mackie playing him in Notorious. He did a fantastic job...People either seem to really love Notorious or really hate it from what I've seen...Again, this is another project I'm definitely going following. I do have Tupac's book of poetry...My favorite film of his is Gridlock'd.
This subject seems to come up every few months, maybe I could make it part of a regular update or something.
Showing posts with label Celebrity biopics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Celebrity biopics. Show all posts
Friday, January 21, 2011
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Biopics...
I've been thinking a lot about biopics lately. I was watching Janis Joplin's Biograpy on the Biography channel (sometimes episodes of Biography still air early in the mornings on A& E as well.) and a commercial comes on for a Janis Joplin biopic starring Zooey Deschanel. That knocked me for a loop, because the only names I'd heard bantered about for a while were Renee Zellwegger, Pink, and I'm drawing a blank as to whether or not I heard a third name. I'd like to see what happens with this...If Zooey Deschanel can do the job, more power to her. : D
Michael Jackson...I think I have some idea as to how Johnny Depp's name came up in connection with his as far as portraying him in a film. Think of Johnny Depp's characterizations in Edward Scissorhands. Now think of how people started reading stuff into his on Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Marlon Brando was also a mutual friend of both Michael Jackson and Johnny Depp. The wheels got turning in somebody's head and they just ran with it. I like how gracefully Johnny Depp dealt with the rumour though. I met him, very briefly once. He seems nice.
If they eventually do wind up doing a biopic of Michael Jackson (and or the Jacksons and the Jackson Five), and I think it's only a matter of time. (Or maybe not. Maybe after next month, the fervor will go down, most people that weren't into Michael Jackson will move on to whoever catches their attention next or back to whoever caught their attention before. )
The way I'd like to see it done, is that they cast in unknown at the different ages they cover, like they did in the TV movie. I can't really see Jamie Foxx playing Michael, but I may be wrong and he might be able to knock it off the park (A lot of actors have been successful in more than one biopic, why should he be any different?). Nick Cannon...sometimes he crosses that line from confidence to arrogance a little too often for me, but that's just my opinion. Again, he may be cast and do a wonderful job. There may be more than one pic (the way for a while there were dueling Janis Joplin biopics.). At this early stage, pretty much anything can happen. This is also another of those times I'm missing my mother greatly, because I could run this whole blog entry by my mother, and she would go, well what about __________ _________, and suggest an actor/entertainer that hadn't even occurred to me, but will sound better and better the more I think about it. (She didn't that once with Laurence Fishburne. She suggested that he would make a good Jimi Hendrix [I can't remember if this was before or after What's Love Got to Do with It. I'm thinking it was before.].) I didn't really like the movie they did with Wood Harris. Something was missing in his performance. It felt more like an impersonation, than a well-rounded portrayal. Just my thoughts...it'll be interesting to see what happens.
Michael Jackson...I think I have some idea as to how Johnny Depp's name came up in connection with his as far as portraying him in a film. Think of Johnny Depp's characterizations in Edward Scissorhands. Now think of how people started reading stuff into his on Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Marlon Brando was also a mutual friend of both Michael Jackson and Johnny Depp. The wheels got turning in somebody's head and they just ran with it. I like how gracefully Johnny Depp dealt with the rumour though. I met him, very briefly once. He seems nice.
If they eventually do wind up doing a biopic of Michael Jackson (and or the Jacksons and the Jackson Five), and I think it's only a matter of time. (Or maybe not. Maybe after next month, the fervor will go down, most people that weren't into Michael Jackson will move on to whoever catches their attention next or back to whoever caught their attention before. )
The way I'd like to see it done, is that they cast in unknown at the different ages they cover, like they did in the TV movie. I can't really see Jamie Foxx playing Michael, but I may be wrong and he might be able to knock it off the park (A lot of actors have been successful in more than one biopic, why should he be any different?). Nick Cannon...sometimes he crosses that line from confidence to arrogance a little too often for me, but that's just my opinion. Again, he may be cast and do a wonderful job. There may be more than one pic (the way for a while there were dueling Janis Joplin biopics.). At this early stage, pretty much anything can happen. This is also another of those times I'm missing my mother greatly, because I could run this whole blog entry by my mother, and she would go, well what about __________ _________, and suggest an actor/entertainer that hadn't even occurred to me, but will sound better and better the more I think about it. (She didn't that once with Laurence Fishburne. She suggested that he would make a good Jimi Hendrix [I can't remember if this was before or after What's Love Got to Do with It. I'm thinking it was before.].) I didn't really like the movie they did with Wood Harris. Something was missing in his performance. It felt more like an impersonation, than a well-rounded portrayal. Just my thoughts...it'll be interesting to see what happens.
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