MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Are there any biopics of movie stars?

Are there any biopics of movie stars?

posted 3 years ago by actionkamen (23176)
32 replies | jump to latest

There are a lot of recent biopics of musicians like Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, Straight Outta Compton, etc. But why there're not many for famous successful actors?

The only one I can think of is The Disaster Artist, which while he's a director, scriptwriter, producer and an actor, Tommy Wiseau was not exactly what you would call a movie star.

Also that movie was bad, I got bored halfway in. It was just basically an overly long meme. To be fair, I've never watched The Room so I don't get all the fascinations.

[–] rateater (9206) 3 years ago

only chaplin

[–] actionkamen (23176) 3 years ago

Ah, yes. Need to watch that one. Thanks!

[–] PaladinNJ (20308) 3 years ago

They were trying to make one on Roscoe Arbuckle. Each time the actor they were eying for the lead died.

[–] PaladinNJ (20308) 3 years ago

Man of Thousand Faces
Life and Death of Peter Sellers
Autofocus
Dragon: the Bruce Lee Story
Mommie Dearest
Prince of Players

[–] actionkamen (23176) 3 years ago

Never heard of those except for Dragon: the Bruce Lee Story. I watched that one, not bad, not great either.

I'll look up your other titles in a moment.

[–] sslssg (27403) 3 years ago

I think it's sad that the only thing I ever really remember about Dragon is that woman calling him dish wahsa. It just seemed so over the top.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 3 years ago

One thing I remember is when he was in an underground fighting match and was kicked in the back from behind after he had won. Which was fictional. The movie took it's dramatic liberties too far.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (71429) 3 years ago

I liked it but yes, too much made up stuff it seemed

[–] Stratego (29192) 3 years ago

You've never heard of Mommy Dearest, the Joan Crawford biopic???

"No wire hangers, ever!"

And I've never even seen the movie myself!🤷‍♀️

[–] actionkamen (23176) 3 years ago

No. I don't even know who Joan Crawford is.

[–] Stratego (29192) 3 years ago

Come on, that's a lie!

[–] PaladinNJ (20308) 3 years ago

Star 80
I think there were a few about Marilyn Monroe but mostly fictionalized.

[–] jonathan_k80 (6436) 3 years ago

Do directors count? There was Hitchcock (2012) with Anthony Hopkins in the title rôle.

[–] sslssg (27403) 3 years ago

What about Judy (2019)?

I haven't seen it yet so I can't comment on the quality.

[–] snepts (11123) 3 years ago

I would have mentioned this had you not already.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

My Week with Marilyn (2011)
Stan & Ollie (2018)
Ed Wood (1994)

[–] actionkamen (23176) 3 years ago

Ed Wood (1994) was a decent movie, way better than The Disaster Artist. Yet it's also a biopic of a meme (before memes were cool.) Maybe in the future we will get a biopic of Uwe Boll or James Nguyen.

[–] Eric56 (4580) 3 years ago

Why isn't there a biopic of Michael Jackson???

[–] actionkamen (23176) 3 years ago

Too soon.

[–] Eric56 (4580) 3 years ago

Really? He's been dead for almost 12 years now.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 3 years ago

Right, time flies. Hmmm... I guess Sandra Bullock can play MJ. They look pretty similar.

[–] Eric56 (4580) 3 years ago

They probably have to have 2 different people play MJ. Y'know with his vitiligo and all.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 3 years ago

Also to have a white person to play a black person might be problematic in today's environment. In the other hand, casting a black actor in a whiteface (or CGI) prolly still be high risk.

So I don't think any sane producer would want to tackle a Michael Jackson biopic.

Maybe if it's only from his childhood in Jackson 5 to, say, Thriller and end it there on a high note, it can be done.

But then again, I think not many would want to see MJ as a hero, audience will want to actually see the more dramatic / shocking / erratic life in his more recent days... the skin-color change, the endless plastic surgeries, the child molestation accusations, and the sudden passing.

[–] FentonMeiks (1240) 3 years ago

i didnt realize how long the PC police have been around. Pat Morita was told he couldn't play Arnold in Happy Days because hes Japanese and the character Arnold was Chinese

interview:
https://youtu.be/m4FeEJYa9Y0?t=194

[–] actionkamen (23176) 3 years ago

Yet Minari (2020) a movie made by Americans, directed by an American, starring Americans, shot in America is considered a foreign movie just because the story was about immigrants. Crazy times.

[–] nyctc7 (41187) 3 years ago

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