Today, the news dropped that Darren Aronofsky (director of “Requiem for a Dream,” “Black Swan,” and A24’s “The Whale”) will reteam with A24 to direct a movie based on Walter Isaacson’s biography of SpaceX founder and Tesla/Twitter CEO Elon Musk. Isaacson’s biography of another tech giant, Steve Jobs, was the basis for Danny Boyle’s biopic “Steve Jobs,” which earned star Michael Fassbender an Oscar nomination. So, who should step into the lead role of Aronofsky’s Elon Musk biopic and set himself up for potential award season acclaim (or absolute ridicule, if he blows it)? I have some thoughts.
Michael Fassbender again
Michael Fassbender doesn’t look a lot like Elon Musk. But he didn’t look a lot like Steve Jobs, either, and that didn’t seem to matter (though, yes, critics frequently pointed it out). One thing that will be critical in casting the role of Elon Musk will be an aptitude for accents. Fassbender has had success with accents in the past (the actor is half-German and half-Irish, so there are two accents right off the bat!). Plus, for his upcoming role in Taika Waititi’s “Next Goal Wins,” Fassbender learned to speak in a Dutch accent that would be very close to Musk’s own accent.
Liev Schreiber
This one is mostly about the looks. Elon Musk’s most prominent feature is his face. His wide jaw line, narrow eyes, small mouth, and tall forehead are recognizable around the world (unfortunately for any casting director tasked with finding a suitable doppelganger). Schreiber is a handsomer version, but he has roughly Musk’s face shape. Plus, Schreiber is just a great actor. He’s played real-life people with unique accents before (see: 2015’s “Spotlight”).
Jason Bateman
Elon Musk seems to consider himself something of a class clown, so an actor who can be funny is going to have a leg-up in this race. Musk has no problem making fun of himself, like when he hosted “SNL,” but he also likes to poke fun at others. Most of Bateman’s most pointed barbs are directed at others. He’s the king of put-downs. One downside? Bateman, who seems to love retaining any shred of youth, will need to cut his hair (which is now longer than it was in the picture above).
Brendan Fraser
Elon Musk is 6’1″ and husky. His demeanor is sometimes that of a small person (a quiet voice, some personal insecurities), but Elon Musk is not a small person. Brendan Fraser is 6’3″ and fills a room. We know that from his short performance in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which has divided the internet (I personally found it annoying). Regardless of your opinion, there’s no denying that his character in that movie was an imposing figure. That was the whole point.
Tommy Wiseau
Tommy Wiseau would be perfect for the role of Elon Musk. He has the face shape. He has an accent (though it’s not Elon Musk’s accent and I highly doubt he’d be able to shed it to pick up Elon Musk’s accent). He’s also ridiculous. I can’t tell if Elon Musk would hate it or love it if he was played by one of the worst actors alive (or, at least, one of the worst actors who is this well-known). Tommy Wiseau is way too old to play Elon Musk (by most accounts, he’s about 68…though he’s notoriously cagey about details regarding his personal life). But Tommy Wiseau is also a man without an age, without a nationality, and without a grasp on reality. He can play anybody.
Kevin Durand
The people’s choice seems to be Canadian actor Kevin Durand, based on his resemblence to Musk. Everywhere from Reddit to Quora, people have suggested Durand (it should be noted that when people have had this conversation in the past, it was about who might play Musk in a small role in a movie about the Thai soccer team that was trapped in a cave). Durand has also worked with Aronofsky before, in 2014’s “Noah.” But I don’t want to give Elon Musk the ego boost that would come with casting a man who is this absolutely ripped.
Matt Damon
In all seriousness, this would be my top choice. Matt Damon already had an Oscar nomination for playing a real-life South African (you might have forgotten about “Invictus,” but I haven’t!). Damon’s portrayal of rugby player Francois Pienaar seems like good practice for playing Elon Musk. Now, if only using a South African accent is like riding a bike. Plus, Damon doesn’t not look like Elon Musk. You probably won’t find anyone this famous who looks more like him.
Elon Musk himself
I lied. I guess there is one person known around the globe who looks undeniably like Elon Musk. He’s hosted “SNL” and has appeared in a handful of movies and television shows as himself. Plus, you know he’d say yes. Asking Elon Musk to play himself could either boost box office revenues through the roof or cross a number of ethical lines (who would trust that a biopic that involved Musk himself would be a truthful account?). After all, Musk is a polarizing figure. Last year, polls showed that about 40% of people approved of Musk, 35% viewed him negatively, and the rest didn’t know enough to have an opinion. Having him play himself would set off an online frenzy. Which, if you think about it, is exactly what Elon Musk would want.
Cinema or Cine-meh 