To the long list of actors who’ve starred in musicians’ biopics of late, you might need to add Johnny Depp. MTV News reports that Jack Sparrow himself is in talks to play Freddie Mercury (pictured, left) in a movie being developed by Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Productions. (I’m a bit perturbed as to why the drummer—not even the singer, but the drummer—of a Queen tribute band is the only person quoted in this report.)
Depp (at right) has played a singularly eclectic collection of real-life characters—Ed Wood, Hunter S. Thompson, Keith Richards. Still, I don’t know if I can see Depp playing the rhapsodic Queen frontman. For as wacky and over the top as Depp can sometimes be, even the flamboyance of Jack Sparrow can in no way compare to Mercury. Also, there’s the unpleasant little matter of age: Depp is 43, just two years younger than Mercury was when he died in 1991. So let’s hope this rumor is nothing more.
What are your favorite musical biopics? And can you think of someone better suited to play Freddie Mercury than Johnny Depp?
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Jonathan Rhys-Meyers?
Ryan Gosling
Can Mika act? He’s a young’un but he’s certainly got the singing chops for Freddie Mercury and people are already comparing them…
Sacha Boren Cohen
This is a tough one, since Freddie was of Zoraustrian heritage. I think Johnny is just as good a choice as any, since producers would be hard-pressed to find an actor that possessed all of Freddie’s traits naturally.
Johnny Depp is a wonderful actor and I think he’s the perfect choice for this part.
My first instinct is no, Johnny’s not right. But he’s proven himself to be a real chameleon and he just might pull it off.
They got this one right, it should be Johnny Depp.
Cillian Murphy would be awesome! He disappears in his characters. Johnny Depp only does that with characters that are not physically well-known, like in “Finding Neverland.”
I don’t know about Johnny, we’ll have to see. But I like that it’s DeNiro’s company doing it, as he’s involved with Queen’s musical We Will Rock You and so already deals with Brian & Roger. That gives it more credibility to me as far as portraying Freddie’s story fairly and accurately.
??? This might be compilcated. Technically Mercury was South African and his parents are Persian. They moved to England when Mercury was a baby. If they want to do it close to his genes then I would say Oded Ferer from The Mummy. Just give the guy a buzz cut once they get to the eighties part. I can’t picture Depp as Mercury.
I’m hard-pressed to think of anyone who could do a better job than Depp. Maybe Christian Bale? Both of those guys could pull it off, though they might not instantly spring to mind.
Interesting that your permalink for this entry is suggesting Gary Oldman.
How about Jake Gyllenhaal, Joaquin Phoenix, or Sacha Baron Cohen?
Johnny Depp is an awesome actor, he is believable. Some of the ones suggested, come on, we want to see someone who can act! Aside from looking the part, maybe Depp does not. But I would only watch it if it were a good actor portraying him.
Some other people beat me to it, but my first thoughts were Cillian Murphy and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. I’d give the slight edge to Murphy – he’s done some VERY intense work for a while now (onstage as well) and can carry off the flamboyance as well. I’d also love to see him in a lead role. Rhys-Meyers has done the ambiguously sexual rockstar before (Velvet Goldmine) but would also be a fine choice.
Actually now that I read those prior and very interesting suggestions Sacha Baron Cohen sounds like a really amazing choice. He even has the look.
There was this Brit Actor in the Arnold Shwarzenneger movie “Comando” who kind of looked like Freddie Mercury. I think dude’d be perfect. Failing that, Johnny Depp will do fine. His biopic “Blow” was amazing, and made me want to know all about George Jung. He could do the same for the guy behind the Flash Gordon soundtrack. And remains by far my favorite camp movie ever…
they’d have to work on the look – but the closest to Freddie’s onstage charisma is Robbie Williams. have you seen that bloke in concert?!?!?!
Ewan Macgregor?
You guys are crazy. Johnny Depp can probably pull off just about any performance; everyone thought Terry Gilliam was way off the mark when he picked Johnny to play Hunter S Thompson, and now everyone claims that he was great. Dude can act circles around lesser actors like Cillian Murphy and Jake Gyllenhaal.
As much as I’d like to see Mr. Depp acting out Mercury’s personal life (i.e. hot boy on Johnny action) I think he may not be quite right, but he’s known to surprise. Sacha Baron Cohen is an interesting choice and may actually be the most fitting oddly enough. And anyone who’s seen the naked wrestling in Borat knows he’s game for the mano y mano.
Two words come to mind immediately: JARED LETO. Brilliant actor. Brilliant singer. Consider it done.
I’m sick of Depp playing weird and offbeat.
I don’t know. Johnny Depp? Isn’t that a little bit obvious?
I agree Sacha Baron Cohen is my top choice…
He’s the first person i thought of when I heard about this project.
I can’t think of anyone better to play the great Freddie!!!
Who else has the ability to push it to the limit and really make Freddie come alive!!!!
Anyone else would be wrong
I’m surprised EW has just gotten wind of this rumor. This has been floating around the internet for awhile and Johnny Depp himself has denied the rumor. Mr. Depp has many interesting projects on his plate. I don’t see this film happening with Johnny in it.
I think that Johnny Depp DEFINITELY could pull off Freddie Mercury, and I am a HUGE Queen fan! My fave music biopic: Coal Miner’s Daughter, Walk the Line, and Ray.
Sasha Baron Cohen? Why, because he is English and had a Mercury-style moustache when he played Borat? Come on! Sasha is a great comedian, but not exactly a world-class actor (ever seen ‘Ali G In Da House’? I rest my case).
My vote would go for Jim Carrey, if he could pull of the accent (which I doubt). Johnny Depp would be a fine choice really.
As for an English Actor – I think Michael Sheen has the acting chops to pull it off.
Stuart Townsend (Queen of the Dammed)or Steve Carell(lol)