7 Brilliant Music Biopic Castings
The Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody finally has its Freddie with Mr. Robot’s Rami Malek cast as the iconic Queen frontman, and now the casting for the rest of Queen…
HOLLYWOOD – FEBRUARY 27: Actor Jamie Foxx poses backstage with his Oscar for Best Actor for his role in “Ray” during the 77th Annual Academy Awards on February 27, 2005 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California.
Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty ImagesThe Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody finally has its Freddie with Mr. Robot’s Rami Malek cast as the iconic Queen frontman, and now the casting for the rest of Queen has just been revealed.
Per Queen’s official website, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy and Joe Mazzello have been cast as Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon, respectively. With a little help from hair and wardrobe, the resemblance to their Queen counterparts will certainly be striking.
Naturally, this got us thinking about other casting choices in previous music biopics. Some have been misses, but there are many that still had us in awe. Here are seven brilliant music biopic castings.
Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious – Sid & Nancy (1986)
He may be best-known today for his turn as Commissioner Jim Gordon in The Dark Knight Trilogy and Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films, but who could forget Oldman’s breakout role as Sid Vicious in 1986’s Sid & Nancy?
Dennis Quaid as Jerry Lee Lewis – Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
All due respect to “The Killer,” Quaid certainly was an upgrade in the looks department, but more importantly, he captured Lewis’ energy and personality to a “T.”
Paul Dano as Brian Wilson – Love & Mercy (2014)
While the casting of John Cusack as “Future” Brian Wilson left us scratching our heads, Dano’s portrayal of the Pet Sounds-era Wilson was as brilliant as the songwriter himself.
Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett – The Runaways (2010)
Stewart’s turn as Jett came during peak Twilight-mania, but her performance in The Runaways is one of the strongest in her career and should get more attention.
Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison – The Doors (1991)
The Doors may have received mixed reviews, but most can agree that Kilmer embodied Mr. Mojo Risin’ better than anyone else could.
Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles – Ray (2004)
Up until Ray, most knew Jamie Foxx from his work as a stand-up comic and on In Living Color, but this role of a lifetime was a career changer for Foxx, and it netted him a much-deserved Academy Award win for Best Actor.
Angela Bassett as Tina Turner – What’s Love Got To Do With It (1993)
Tina Turner is one of the greatest performers in music history, and Bassett not only nailed Turner’s on-stage presence, she also got the moves down pat. Also, those arms?! This is easily one of the best biopic performances ever, regardless of genre.
Erica Banas is a rock/classic rock reporter that loves the smell of old vinyl in the morning.
