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#4264632 - 05/27/16 05:55 PM Historical figures in film and tv  
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There are quite a few famous/infamous individuals from world history who have been depicted by many different actors on both film and tv and while some performances were forgettable there are some that were so great and so compelling that you almost think the actor and the historical figure being played are the same person. For the latter, these are the first 10 that came to my mind,


1. Julius Caesar - Ciaran Hinds (Rome)
2. Marcus Antonius - James Purefoy (Rome)
3. Adolf Hitler - Bruno Ganz (Downfall)
4. Napoleon Bonaparte - Rod Steiger (Waterloo)
5. Abraham Lincoln - Daniel Day Lewis (Lincoln)
6. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson - Stephen Lang (Gods & Generals)
7. Queen Elizabeth I - Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth)
8. John Adams - Paul Giamatti (John Adams miniseries)
9. Richard Wagner - Richard Burton (Wagner miniseries)
10. Ludwig van Beethoven - Gary Oldman (Immortal Beloved)

Last edited by PanzerMeyer; 05/27/16 08:30 PM.

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#4264643 - 05/27/16 06:21 PM Re: Historical figures in film and tv [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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I would add:

F Murray Abraham as Salieri in Amadeus
Simon Ward as Winston Churchill in Young Winston
Laurence Olivier as Hugh Dowding in The Battle of Britain
Paul Scofield as Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons

What's interesting is that most of our selections are pre-television (pre-photography even). I think it's much harder for an actor to "sell" the idea of them being their character if there's lots of photos/footage of that famous person in the public consciousness.

#4264666 - 05/27/16 07:28 PM Re: Historical figures in film and tv [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Originally Posted By: PanzerMeyer


1. Julius Caesar - Ciaran Hinds (Rome)
2. Marcus Antonius - Mark Purefoy (Rome)
3. Adolf Hitler - Bruno Ganz (Downfall)
4. Napoleon Bonaparte - Rod Steiger (Waterloo)
5. Abraham Lincoln - Daniel Day Lewis (Lincoln)
6. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson - Stephen Lang (Gods & Generals)
7. Queen Elizabeth I - Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth)


Excellent choices.

yep

I would add

Patton - George C. Scott
T.E. Lawrence - Peter O'Toole
Johnny Cash - Joaquin Phoenix
Gandhi - ben Kingsley


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#4264667 - 05/27/16 07:32 PM Re: Historical figures in film and tv [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Idi Amin. Forrest Whittaker (Last King of Scotland)

#4264709 - 05/27/16 09:32 PM Re: Historical figures in film and tv [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Miyamoto Musashi, played by Toshiro Mifune.


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#4264711 - 05/27/16 09:43 PM Re: Historical figures in film and tv [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Robert Conrad as Greg "Pappy" Boyington.


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#4264712 - 05/27/16 09:47 PM Re: Historical figures in film and tv [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Anecdote from Robert Conrad about that.

Boyington was a tech advisor on the series. According to Conrad, he and Boyington were walking down the 'runway' on the set one day and were talking.

Conrad: It would have been something to have flown with you sir.

Boyington: Well Conrad I wish you were there too.

Conrad: I'm honored to hear you say that.

Boyington: Not to fly with. It's so I could have kicked your ass. You're an arrogant little SOB.


What kind of car is that? What does it matter? When I drive it, I'm Steve McQueen
#4264719 - 05/27/16 10:06 PM Re: Historical figures in film and tv [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Add on:

Jamie Foxx -- Ray Charles
The cast of "The Kennedys"

Greg Kinnear- JFK
Barry Pepper- RFK
Katie Holmes - Jackie
Tom Wilkinson- Old Man Joe
Each of them alone and all together were totally believable.

George C Scott - Patton (Scott has basically replaced the real man in the public imagination).
Jack Nicholson - Jimmy Hoffa

Last edited by Tarnsman; 05/27/16 10:07 PM.
#4264818 - 05/28/16 09:27 AM Re: Historical figures in film and tv [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Is this thread about accurate portrayal of historical figures or about actors delivering such a great acting performance that made the audience think the historical figure was just like that?

I ask because in many cases, the script alone was all but historically accurate (Salieri is a prime example of totally unwarranted character assassination done for the sake of the plot).


I'm curious how Kevin Spacey's portrayal of Richard Nixon is in Elvis & Nixon (haven't seen it yet).

Last edited by Jayhawk; 05/28/16 03:50 PM.

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#4264824 - 05/28/16 09:45 AM Re: Historical figures in film and tv [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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That's an excellent question Jayhawk and the scope of my original post was really geared for the latter. Obviously, any actor portraying an historical figure from ancient history is never going to be completely accurate. We may have some written accounts of what that historical figure's personality was like but most sources tend to be biased one way or the other.

Even George C. Scott's portrayal of Patton had one major change: the voice. The real Patton had a very high pitched voice and not the gruff and gravely voice that Scott used.

Last edited by PanzerMeyer; 05/28/16 09:46 AM.

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
#4264844 - 05/28/16 11:40 AM Re: Historical figures in film and tv [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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That's why I was a little reluctant to throw in..

Davey Crockett - Fess Parker
Daniel Boone -Fess Parker


One of the few actors to pull off being two classic bigger than life legends. Only bad thing it (for me) is it has blurred the lines between the two legends so now 50 years later I get the two mixed up. I'm not going to bring up the whole blurring of fact/fiction/myths of those two legends. But I do believe most of the stories.

#4264855 - 05/28/16 12:07 PM Re: Historical figures in film and tv [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Henry Fonda - Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz (Midway)

James Cagney - Vice Admiral William F. Halsey (The Gallant Hours)


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#4264869 - 05/28/16 01:22 PM Re: Historical figures in film and tv [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Interesting that except for Ms Blanchett and Ms Holmes, no women are in these lists. Then again most famous historical figures were men - the women behind them got much less attention.


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There is another theory which states that this has already happened.
#4264962 - 05/28/16 06:42 PM Re: Historical figures in film and tv [Re: Legend]  
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Originally Posted By: Legend
Interesting that except for Ms Blanchett and Ms Holmes, no women are in these lists. Then again most famous historical figures were men - the women behind them got much less attention.


unless you are an axe murderer or something.


Lizzie Borden (1975) - Elizabeth Montgomery



I did not know there is a 2014 version with Christina Ricci

#4264998 - 05/28/16 09:15 PM Re: Historical figures in film and tv [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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Helen Mirren played Queen Elizabeth II very well I thought.
Also Meryl Streep played Margaret Thatcher, but I did not think much of the movie.

#4265129 - 05/29/16 02:04 PM Re: Historical figures in film and tv [Re: PanzerMeyer]  
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I seem to recall you did this list once before.
I don't have the energy to find the link, though.


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