MovieChat Forums > Nowhere Boy (2009) Discussion > Who would you cast to play an older John...

Who would you cast to play an older John Lennon?

posted 14 years ago by mr-chris-newman
71 replies | jump to latest

Im not sure if Nowhere is going to rate as a A1 quality biopic but still it is intriguing to consider which actor you would pick to play a 30/40 something John Lennon. (setting aside he died at age 40) I would be interested in other things because setting aside his physical appearance who would be able to convey the complexity and nuance of character to do a half decent job? Would not necessarily have to be English but doing a respectable liverpool accent would be a must

[–] London_Baby01 14 years ago

Well to me i would like to see a British actor play him in a movie as most Americans (No offense) can't do British accents well. And i agree with you the accent must be done perfect.

But it's more then accents to me, its the look and the personality and his emotions that need to be portrayed spot on perfect. I would like to see a bio of him after the Beatles.

We know so much about the beatles and we can watch clip after clip of them together performing and hanging out with each other but to me the Lennon story is more a personal life changing story that needs to be told.

so from 1969 onwards would be a good film, maybe showing a brief flash back when he was younger.

[–] odriscoll3353 14 years ago

I think Liam Neeson would do a good job, with all the amazing stuff they can do these days i'm sure they could shoot a 57 year old Neeson to look in his 30's.

[–] schuyler_harmon 14 years ago

no offense taken. Most Brits can't do American accents to save themselves

[–] London_Baby01 14 years ago

lol...i think you have that backwards.

[–] serialk1970-1 14 years ago

No american actors can speaks with english,irish or scotish accent.Do you remember Mel Gibson in Braveheart??Please!!!!Hey i love jhonny deep although he's the only who gets very close to it he still doesn't do a very good job when he speaks with english accent. I'm not taking the english side (i'm from Milan i've been living in london for 15 years) but he's not good. Guy ritchie was very clever when he made Brad Pitt speaking that weird irish accent the Pykies use.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Degree7 14 years ago

No american actors can speaks with english,irish or scotish accent.Do you remember Mel Gibson in Braveheart

Well seeing as Mel Gibson was pretty much an AUSTRALIAN.... geez.

It's scrambled eggs.

[–] btlc0m 14 years ago

Jeff Bridges would have been good if had played him in the 80's.

[–] tpresnyc 9 years ago

Gibson was born in Peekskill NY; moved to Australia as a kid.

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[–] Degree7 9 years ago

That's why I said "pretty much" Australian.

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[–] ledgerina 14 years ago

seriaklk... Mel Gibson is not American. he is from Australia, FYI!

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[–] Joseph-Stevenson 12 years ago

I hear that. I'm British myself so it's a shame. Tom Hardy is fantastic though in my opinion. I watched Warrior a few days ago and it's the most convincing American accent I've heard.

[–] mochuck 14 years ago

How about his son Julian - who looks just like him. But can he act? I think Liam Neeson is way too big - John Lennon was slight. I think someone like James McEvoy could maybe carry it off.

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[–] richie_patrese 14 years ago

Stick Ian Hart in again - he normally plays him.

[–] London_Baby01 14 years ago

This picture i see John Lennon always, eveytime i look at it.
http://thinkingofrob.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/04.jpg

[–] mr-chris-newman 14 years ago

Jon Bon jovi ??

[–] nezray2001 14 years ago

I don't think RP would make a good JL. Considering there needs to be a world within displayed and a decent Liverpudlian accent, I'm with the James McAvoy suggestion. It doesn't matter that they don't look that much alike in my book insomuch as whomever plays him can communicate that internal dialogue while life is going on outside. That was there in Nowhere Boy, even though Aaron Johnson didn't look very much like John Lennon.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] hkriley 14 years ago

yeah, Liam is over 6 ft and definitely too big

[–] guntherkleist 14 years ago

Christopher Ecclestone:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/27/christopher-eccleston-john-lennon-bbc4

[–] FlyingTriumph 14 years ago

With that quasi-Kermit the Frog voice of his? I don't think so.

[–] ldc210 14 years ago

Jonathan Rhys Meyers

[–] mr-chris-newman 14 years ago

He's got model good looks that's for sure.

[–] London_Baby01 14 years ago

Jon Bon Jovi...mmm nope, don't think he be very good at all for the role.

[–] Aeronnen 14 years ago

For me a most obvious choice would be Noah Wyle:
http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2009/cbb/blog/090504/noah_wyle300.jpg
http://www.superiorpics.com/hs/noah_wyle/main1.jpg
http://www.btinternet.com/~orlando/splash7.jpg

[–] NightWing444 14 years ago

wow, Noah Wyle definitely looks like Lennon.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] thatguy_78757 11 years ago

HOLY COW youre right!

[–] jaystarstar 14 years ago

Ian Hart of course, and Gary Oldman would also be pretty good, but Hart is 45 and Oldman is 51, so they are rapidly becoming too old to play John Lennon at any time of his life.

Except for one Beatle movie I would really like to see, a fictional story about what might have happened if they had stayed together (and John hadn't been killed, of course).

Christian Slater also slightly resembles John, but he's about the same age so he is also sliding out of the pool of prospective actors. Same with Julian, who I am quite certain would never do it anyway.

[–] rebs47 14 years ago

Adrian Brody

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[–] actionville 14 years ago

well, sadly he's dead, but i think (apart from his voice since it was considerably deeper than Lennon's) Heath Ledger could've pulled it off. He had those squinty eyes and he was obviously capable of playing notable roles.

man, both Lennon and Ledger were taken from the world too soon.

[–] silkymonkey25 14 years ago

I would make a shout for Jason Isaacs! a very good actor who also comes from liverpool, he may not look like Lennon! but i'm sure he could do a bloody good job of playing him.

[–] richard_10013 14 years ago

Michael Sheen.