Cast This: J.R.R. Tolkien Biopic
Monday, November 25, 2013 at 5:00PM 
When I read over at Film School Rejects that JRR Tolkien was getting a biopic, I let out a big ol pipe-smoking sigh. Wouldn't this have been a better use of Peter Jackson's time than what he's been spending the last few years doing? If you're going to gild the lily, find a new way! The only time Jackson did a true story (Heavenly Creatures) it was quite impressive and still made use of his imaginative fantasy aesthetics. A bigger sigh followed when I pictured J.R.R. Tolken in my head from this photo to your left embedded in me brain from childhood.
How long before we hear the casting announcement and then a photo of Anthony Hopkins in full makeup with a pipe, I thought. That's EXACTLY who Hollywood would cast because they never think outside the box.
But - yay! - the biopic will cover the formative younger years in World War I and at university which led to The Hobbit through The Lord of the Rings (so one presumes the biopic ends in the 1950s when Tolkien also reached his fifties)/ CGI de-aging is not yet advanced to subject us to the defacto Hopkins casting of old man biopics (yes he gets them all: Kellogg, Nixon, Lewis, Picasso, Hitchcock...)
SO LET'S PLAY "CAST THIS!"
Here's two photos of J.R.R. Tolkien which I believe are from his younger years in the service and at university but even in his mid to late 20s / early 30s (?) he already looked like a distinguished older man!
It'd be smartest to cast someone in their 30s or early 40s who can look younger and older. My first thought was Ryan Gosling, solely because the Gos is never far from the mind and I think he popped up because of his similar longish face. But then I have trouble picturing him aging up into that jovial ol' pipe smoker from all the book jackets, so that's not quite right. I think I just had a better idea but I want to hear your suggestions to see if anyone reaches a similar conclusion
So who would you cast? Ready, set... comment!
Reader Comments (33)
I can only think of older actors for some reason. Like Stephen Dillane. Or a younger Donald Moffat.
it's probably going to be Benedict Cumberbatch
Ewan McGregor?
I'm getting a Tom Hiddleston vibe.
Plus, I can't hear Gosling doing a British accent.
Stephen Dillane would be just fine. Judging by the looks, I would choose Ben Foster. But is he able to nail the accent?
I vote for Jim Broadbent
That first photo below looks EXACTLY like Ben Foster.
Jude Law maybe?
Matthew Goode!
I also thought Hiddleston.
I second Ben Foster especially on the first photo.
Peter Stormare. Never did get a deserved showcase role, so I'd enjoy him in that role.
It's going to be Hiddleston, even though he plays Orwell in my imaginary adaptation of Homage to Catalonia.
I agree with Hiddleston being the most obvious choice. What I would ask though, is if anyone is tired of old-age makeup? It's looked so bad lately (J. Edgar, Hitchcock, Prometheus) that it makes me question if casting two actors wouldn't be better?
I think Ian Holm looks most like an old Tolkien, but he's already in LoTR, and does he look like Hiddleston?
YAY. my 'brilliant' idea was actually Ben Foster but other people came to it. Not that they'd ever cast him but i miss the days when biopics sometimes went to lesser knowns. Not every movie needs a movie star. Sometimes the role / concept is the star.
Ben Foster has that Lance Armstrong film happening so he might blow up. His moody, fiery character acting turns as somebody who knew him as the goofball Tucker on Flash Forward has been quite a step for me as a movie viewer.
Rafe Spall? Too young?
Wait, I got it! The second picture is giving me Jack Davenport vibes. Anyone else?
conrado -- or regarding old age... why not just cast old actors. I mean that PROMETHEUS role made me so mad. Ridley Scott could have given a cool gig to any number of awesome very old still living stars. Instead he put stupid makeup on Guy Pearce? i didn't understand that at all.
I wholeheartedly second the Jack Davenport vote! The concerned forehead crease is what's really selling it. Not, as Nathaniel points out, that they would ever cast him.
I could see Fassy pulling this off, too, but maybe that's just because I like him with a mustache.
Nat: In the case of Prometheus, that was because Guy Pearce was supposed to be appearing in an advertising campaign where he was a young Weyland. They didn't wind up going forward with the campaign, making them look like idiots for not switching out the casting, but I hope that allows you to understand why he was in that makeup in the first place.
Speaking of Guy Pearce...
Ryan Gosling turning into Jim Broadbent is what I'm seeing.
Nathaniel- I keep thinking Peter O'Toole as elder Weyland and they just cut out David watching Lawrence of Arabia (I think a critic said it best to not show your hands on David's influences and O'Toole would've just made that clear without a word said).
The original script that floated around the internet did not have Weyland on the ship, IIRC. I just figured Pearce as his current age was the marketing campaign and maybe the movie actually contained those flashbacks, but not him at that age. Nope, it was just more unnecessary things and more complicated.
Benedict Cumberbatch. He has the look and the acting chops. Perfect casting!
Daniel Craig playing Tolkien would create enthusiasm within me. His face could play young and old appropriately I think. And it's at least several arm-lengths away from playing anything Bond-like.
If they go Foster, and that's not a bad call, it will be amazing that someone so British-looking will be played by an American.
On the other hand, the Brits now have Superman, Batman and Spider-Man, so what the hell. We're in a deficit. We just have Sherlock Holmes. Cinematically.
http://www.coupdemainmagazine.com/sites/default/files/11-4947/benedictcumberbatch-gqnov13-1.jpg
http://itsallaboutbenedictcumberbatch.tumblr.com/post/26909475863/benedict-cumberbatch-19-50-war-horse
Can you see Benedict Cumberbatch as Tolkien? The voice, the look and the acting skills. I cannot think of a better fit.
I'm thinking Damian Lewis.
To me, the photo on the left resembles colin farrell
Has anyone reached the same conclusion as you, Nathaniel?
This dude Dahsack should play Tupac he has the look and the sound. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltFd35JjPt0&feature=youtube_gdata_player
With Tolkien and Lewis coming, please cast Toby Jones.