As you know I like to track anniversary dates but somehow it had slipped me by that today it's been 25 years since Bob Geldof (pictured left) convinced a gajillion rock stars to sing for free to feed Ethiopia. Everyone showed. I don't really know the history of the benefit concert in general but this felt like the first one to me. Ah, the naivete of youth!MTV, who would know such things, recalls the numbers. Here's a list of everyone who took the stage. Insanity. Imagine if you were making a biopic about this event, who you'd have to cast? I guess biopic isn't the right term. Historical epic! But whatever.
It was epic. I mean Queen, Mick Jagger & Tina Turner, Madonna
Whew...
Icons.
So, let's play Cast This!
Here's a visual chart of a some people pulled semi-randomly from the event that I thought might be fun to cast. If you're too young to recall these people -- not everyone can be Madonna and maintain ubiquity for centuries -- cast by their faces.
From left to right that's: Bob Geldof (your star!), Adam Ant, Madonna, Freddie Mercury of Queen (whatever happened to his biopic? There was one in development). Second row: Joan Baez (played by Julianne Moore sort of in I'm Not There), Sade, Bryan Ferry and Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders. Go!
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Oooh, casting speculative biopics are much more fun than casting books, no offense ;)
ReplyDeleteI always used to get Bob Geldoff and Richard E. Grant mixed up when I was younger, so that's our first role cast. TMZ have confirmed it.
And could anyone BUT Sacha Baron Cohen play Freddie Mercury? I don't think so.
How fantastic would Jonathan Groff be as Adam Ant? Also Meryl Streep could definitely pull off Joan Baez.
ReplyDeleteOff the top of my head, I'm thinking Ewan McGregor for Geldoff, Jonathan Rhys Meyers for Adam Ant, and Gaga (of course) for Madonna. I'll have to think about the others a bit more.
ReplyDeleteNo Duran Duran casting?
I just read Nate B's Jonathan Groff casting and I like it better than mine. All also throw in Zoe Saldana for Sade.
ReplyDeleteSome ideas:
ReplyDeleteTom Everett Scott as Bob Geldof
Anna Kendrick as Madonna
Tilda Swinton as Joan Baez
Karen Olivo as Sade
Ahhh, a beautiful walk down memory lane. I remember watching it on TV, and I still have a cassette tape of recording the Duran Duran segment.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm old.
I agree with most of what's already been said, but with Glee on the brain I'm throwing out Naya Rivera for Sade.
ReplyDeleteSo many people to cast... This movie would cost a fortune to make! (of course not all of them would be here, but I'm going to imagine the majority of them would)
ReplyDeleteLOL, I don't think we'd have enough actors in Hollywood for this movie, so I'm going to mention only some of them:
(and I'm not saying they all have to sing; some could sing and some could simply appear :P)
Freddie Mercury - Baron Cohen as Borat is really similar isn't he?
Tina Turner - Paula Abdul is close to her in appearance (but she can't act, can't she? :D)
Phil Collins - Kevin Spacey? I can't think of anyone for this.
Mick Jagger - I can't think of anyone close to him in appearance.
Bob Geldof - Downey Jr?
Sade - I agree with whoever said Zoe Saldana.
Joan Baez - I can't find anyone who looks like her in 1985. That very oval face is and her latin looks are difficult to find in HW. Cruz would be my guess but they don't look very much alike.
Adam Ant - Jonathan Groff. 100% on board with that.
Patti LaBelle - Beyoncé? She does look like her. And plus she screams DIVA! too.
Paul McCartney - I say Everett Scott looks more like McCartney than with Geldof...
Bryan Adams - Everett Scott could work here too. But he had to dye his hair.
David Bowie - Jackman? But he's more beautiful than Bowie.
Madonna - if Saoirse was older... Like 20 years. So she'd be believable as a 25-year-old. Because you know she'll eventually give up on the good girl phase.
Elton John - is it stupid of me (or blind of me) to think that Seymour Hofmann could actually pull this one off?
George Michael - Uhh Jackman should be this one instead :D
Sting - Ralph Fiennes?
Elvis Costello - Timberlake?
Ah I give up. They're too many and I think I'm making over-the-top, stupid suggestions anyways. I got carried away :D And I still can't find anyone for these:
Bob Dylan
Eric Clapton
David Crosby
Carlos Santana
And more importantly, I have to ask... Who'd we cast to play BONO? And moreover, who'd be crazy to fill in his shoes? :D
This may be the most inventing "Cast This!" you have imagined Nathaniel :D Love it.
Oh, Gaga would KILL to play Madonna.
ReplyDeleteA few other choices:
Eve as Tina Turner
Alan Cumming as David Bowie
Glenn Close as Joan Baez
Ricky Gervais as Elton John
Hank Azaria as Elvis Costello
Gerard Butler as Sting
Queen Latifah as Patti LaBelle
Lou Diamond Philips as Carlos Santana
Matthew Morrison as Kenny Loggins
Hi, everybody!!!
ReplyDeleteMine:
- Bob Geldof.- Mark Rufallo.
- Adam Ant.- Rupert Friend.
- Madonna.- Emily Blunt.
- Freddy Mercuri.- Colin Farrell.
- Joan Baez.- Catalina Sandino Moreno.
- Sade.- Kerry Washington (or a coloured Anne Hathaway).
- Bryan Ferry.- Johnny Depp.
- Chrissie Hynde.- Lea Michele.
And I guess some Oscar nominations!!! Greetings from Madrid!!!
ooh.
ReplyDelete@Nate -- i love the Groff as Adam Ant idea.
@Alex -- Glenn as Joan Baez... i see where you're going but i think we have to go younger.
@everyone. Hey... y'all aren't playing by the rules. I was trying to limit it to just a handful of people or we'd be here all night.
I'm stumped on Chrissie Hynde totally. But I love her voice so much.
@Michael --Karen Olivo as Sade? I could see htat.
Chrissie Hynde - Ari Graynor?
ReplyDeleteI feel like there's an actress who reminds me of Hynde more, but it's slipping my mind at the moment.
Maybe this is just me, but I think Tom Hardy would kill as Freddie Mercury. Also think John Krasinki would work as Geldof.
ReplyDeleteBob Geldof - ?
ReplyDeleteAdam Ant - James McAvoy
Madonna - Abbie Cornish
Freddie Mercury - James Franco
Joan Baez - Salma Hayek
Sade - ?
Bryan Ferry - David Tennant
Chrissie Hynde - Anne Hathaway
remy
All these comments make me feel young... I'm not sure if that's positive or negative! ;)
ReplyDeletei know! REBECCA HALL as Chrissie Hynde.
ReplyDeleteremy -- the Abbie Cornish as Madonna intrigues.
anthony -- that's a positive. enjoy it while it lasts ha ha! Soon it'll be 2020, you know?
ReplyDeleteBono: Danny McBride?
ReplyDeleteCarlos Santana: An unknown.
Dylan: I know this sounds left field but, I could see Les Claypool.
Clapton: Ryan Gosling may be young, but that's what makeup is for.
David Crosby: This may sound a bit left field too, but how about Dylan Baker?
Mick Jagger: Just slather someone famous in makeup until they look like him at that period.
ReplyDeleteBob Geldof - James McAvoy
ReplyDeleteAdam Ant - Cillian Murphy
Madonna - Taylor Momsen (too young)/Anna Paquin
Freddie Mercury - Mike (but can he act?)/Johnnyo Depp
Joan Baez - Shelley Duvall in The Shining reminds me so much of her...that's all I got though.
Sade - Zoe Saldana definitely
Bryan Ferry - Emilio Estevez
Chrissie Hynde - Lizzie Caplan or Zooey Deschanel
MikA not Mike for Freddie Mercury.
ReplyDeleteBob Geldof - Johnny Depp
ReplyDeleteAdam Ant - Jamie Dornan
Freddie Mercury - Is it terrible of me to suggest Russell Brand? We'd have to shave him up and put a few pounds on him, but it might work...
Madonna - Michael said Anna Kendrick and something about that feels right for me. Depending on when this movie gets made... maybe Lourdes Leon?
Sade - Jaye Davidson. I know, it's a stretch. But one can dream.
Chrissie Hynde - Rebecca Hall is the best suggestion I've read.
Tina Turner - Zoe Saldana
Joan Baez - Chloe Sevigny in considerable make-up.
Duran Duran - Justin Timberlake, Jamie Campbell Bower, Cory Monteith, Jonathan Groff and Johnny Weir.
And finally...
Tilda Swinton as David Bowie!!! Is there a better casting choice in the entire world? She's even expressed interest!