Michael Shannon was miscast
He looked way too thin and had so many wrinkles. It just didn't work for me. However, Kevin Spacey was great.
agreed, great actor but not fit to play Elvis though, doesn't look or sound even close to Elvis.
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MovieChat Forums > Elvis & Nixon (2016) Discussion > Michael Shannon was miscast
I got about 7 minutes into it and had to turn it off. He was way too distracting, and the WORST Elvis since Don Johnson. Terrible.
shareI just went through that with my mother. She said, "They should have gotten Kurt Russell to play him. He was a good Elvis." I told her, "Kurt Russell is like 60, at least this guy is only 42." She replied, "Well they look the same age." She just couldn't deal, so I turned it off.
shareOnly saw the trailer, so far, and I was shocked someone thought casting Michael Shannon as Elvis was a good idea. Elvis was an EXTREMELY handsome man. I think Shannon is a good actor but he's always reminded me of Frankenstein's monster in the looks department. OMG, horrible casting for Elvis!
At least Don Johnson had (and actually still has) sex appeal.
After a few minutes I accepted Michael as Elvis because he's such a good actor and I forgot how little he resembled him. He brought a depth to Elvis that I never saw another actor do before. Rather refreshing after seeing so many actors doing an impersonation rather than a performance of Elvis. Didn't they do a Bob Dylan biopic a few years ago with a bunch of different actors (and sexes) portraying him? We have to get away from the "thank you, thank you very much" crap (even though Michael did say it once thankfully).
The meeting was an acting tour-de-force between Shannon and Spacey. How they were both trying to manipulate the other was great.
No! That's not true at all, Elvis takes 50% of everything I earn!Col. Tom Parker share
Don't know about the Bob Dylan biopic. Never was a fan of his. I've watched plenty of movies where the actor didn't look like the person he portrayed and it didn't bother me that much, but having someone as homely as Shannon playing someone as incredibly handsome as Elvis was is like having Rosie O'Donnell playing Pamela Anderson. If Rosie were the greatest actress in the world, would most people forget she doesn't look like Pamela Anderson? Of course not. It'd be too much of a stretch of the imagination. This is the case with Shannon portraying Elvis.
I may watch this movie out of curiosity of the story and as a comedy, but no way will I be thinking I'm watching Elvis.
Not saying Shannon isn't a good actor although never much cared for any of the characters he has portrayed. All of them have a creapyness that bothers me.
shareNot saying Shannon isn't a good actor although never much cared for any of the characters he has portrayed. All of them have a creapyness that bothers me.
Probably because great actors look for great parts. Incompetent celebrities look for lead parts that are going to make them look good. Like Ryan Gosling for example.
For every lie I unlearn I learn something new - Ani Difranco share
kapnkirk^
I felt the same way.
Shannon distracted me at first as Elvis (visually) but then that turned around for me as I settled in to Shannon's fine performance.
Shannon is a great actor. period.
"She was possessed by a very simple idea that changed everything. That our world wasn't real."
So totally agree...to the point of being a distraction on what could have been a great film. Spacey was superb but he always is. I am really surprised that they didn't make the effort to cast Elvis with someone who actually looked like him.
shareI also agree. Miscast with Shannon, although he did his best. He just didn't look like Elvis at all.
shareHe looked wrong and didn't even try to sound like him. I could live with him not looking like him but Elvis' voice is arguably more identifiable than his looks. I thought Bruce Campbell in Bubba Ho-Tep was much better and did a great job.
shareI somewhat agree with you amandamichelle.
But you have to admit that Shannon did have the cool factor.
He might have been cooler than E himself.
I think the role of Jerry Schilling had to have been miscast as well. Or was he really that boring?
shareagreed, way too old looking
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