The Smiley Smile Message Board

http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/news/a474123/john-cusack-in-talks-to-play-brian-wilson-in-love-and-mercy.html

Oh my god, that's perfect.  Cusack is one of my favorite actors.

Great news! I hope he gets on board!

Great actor, really hope this works out.

Isn't he like 50???

He wouldn't be playing young Brian - they've already cast that role.  Presumably he would be playing Brian in the 80's-90's.

I'd pay a million dollars for a ticket if Brian just played himself.....

I can't really see Cusack as older Brian. They look nothing alike in coloring or size. Though I can't see Paul Dano, either, it's at least a little bit less of a disparity. Will Ferrell would have made a better old Brian.

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Or Al Pacino even...

 :ninja

Jeff Bridges could do a great older Brian. He's a musician himself, which wouldn't hurt either.

Cusack is one of my favourite actors.

This is starting to look pretty good. I smell Oscars.

He was mentioned as an actor in a BW biopic as early as 1989. Together with William Hurt - IIRC Bridges was to be BW. And Hurt dr. Landy. The plan nosedived, and I think we may be grateful for that. I have no doubt that it would've been done after the BW/Todd Gold 'biography'.

And Bridges resembles Brian, in a couple of ways, facially.

Edit: my souce is Q magazine, which actually was quite good way back then.

At the end of the day these guys are actors right so maybe close physical resemblance is less important than the actual performance itself?

It will be fascinating to see what Cusack brings to the role if he is to play Brian.

Is he a method actor? Then he will have to eat a lot.

Isn't Cusack gearing up to play Rush Limbaugh in a film?

At least his weight can stay the same for both movies  ;D

 :-D

I love John Cusack, but has he ever played a real person (as opposed to a fictional character in a romantic comedy or an action thriller)? It would be interesting to see if he could pull it off. I guess with biopics, I prefer that they get a really gifted young actor and just "age" him so the same person is playing the subject in all eras. There's better continuity that way. "Chaplin" wasn't a very good movie, but Robert Downey Jr, who played Chaplin at all adult ages, was wonderful. I also think of Jamie Foxx in "Ray" and Joaquin Phoenix in "Walk the Line." It's odd to just change actors.

Off the top of my head, Cusack played Nelson Rockefeller in Cradle Will Rock and Edgar Allen Poe in The Raven.

As for the multiple actors, this is being directed by Todd Haynes, who did a biopic of Bob Dylan, I'm Not There, that starred six different people as Dylan, including one woman (Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, and Ben Whishaw) and had none of the characters they played named "Bob Dylan". Compared to that, having two different actors to play younger and older versions of the same person is positively dull.

I seriously hope they give him a fat suit and a beard, otherwise there is no way I can muster up any suspension of disbelief

But we he also have to sleep a lot and brush 'em like crazy?

I have it on good authority that 75% of the movie will show Cusack lying in bed. Either puffing ciggies or sleeping.

I've read that script, it's decent but the 40 minute scene of Brian choosing the right grain of sand for the sandbox is pretty excruciating

Absolutely the perfect fit to play Brian. If he did Lebowski so well, I'm certain, with his skills as an actor and musician, no one could be better for the part IMO.

I agree, Jeff Bridges would be perfect as Brian.

Or Bill Heder doing Al Pacino in another "wig role":
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/al-pacino-hbo-biopics/n35540/

Seriously, John Cusack is one of my favorite actors, but I can't envision him as BW. He's not built like Brian, and they'd have to do some heavy makeup work to get a physical resemblance.

OSD, who would play Myke???

My vote is Michale Shannon ;)

Now that he's lost weight, Terry Bradshaw. ;D

 :lol


How about Mike Love plays himself... ;)

How about OSD plays Mike Love!!

He played the wrongfully banned for life third baseman from the 1919 Chicago White Sox, Buck Weaver in the excellent film "Eight Men Out". He was the main character, and he was excellent.

There needs to be a scene with Mike thinking up and practising dance moves for performing "That's Not Me" live.

Great idea, also have him yell at Brian about not being able to dance H&V.

I think Brian needs four or five different actors...

http://dellydel.com/brianwilson/brianwilson.html


Do you think that's a good idea? If he looks in the mirror and sees Mike Love, he'll have a heart attack!