Andrew Kendall and I are prepping the way with a very special CASTING COUP WEEK! And our subjects: the Best Picture nominees of 1953!
We begin with Julius Caesar....
Who is She: Devoted wife of Brutus. Knows what's happening. Kills herself off-stage by swallowing live coals.
Originally played by: Academy Award Nominee for Best Actress (Edward, My Son, From Here to Eternity, The King and I, Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison, Separate Tables, The Sundowners), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best [British] Actress (The End of the Affair, Tea and Sympathy, The Sundowners, The Chalk Garden), Golden Globe Winner for Best Actress - Musical/Comedy (The King and I)
Deborah Kerr
My Choice: Academy Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress (The Help) and Best Supporting Actress (Doubt), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Actress (The Help), SAG Award Winner for Best Actress and Best Ensemble (The Help)
Viola Davis
Portia only gets one scene, where she worries about Brutus and suspects the late-night visitations may be a bit...sinister. I know, I know -- I choose a big star like Viola Davis. Is she capable of interweaving suspicion and devotion, an entire character's history, within a single scene?
Portia only gets one scene, where she worries about Brutus and suspects the late-night visitations may be a bit...sinister. I know, I know -- I choose a big star like Viola Davis. Is she capable of interweaving suspicion and devotion, an entire character's history, within a single scene?
CALPURNIA
Who is She: Distressed wife of Caesar. Plagued by dreams that seem to portend misfortune for her husband. She begs for him not to go to the Senate; he goes.
Originally played by: Academy Award Winner for Best Actress (Mrs. Miniver), Golden Globe Winner for Best Actress - Drama (Sunrise at Campobello)Who is She: Distressed wife of Caesar. Plagued by dreams that seem to portend misfortune for her husband. She begs for him not to go to the Senate; he goes.
Greer Garson
My Choice:
The first actor cast. Rashad only needs one scene to nail -- we know she can do it. Rashad can nail a performance in a single line.
CASCA
Who is He: A Tribune of the People of Rome, called "envious" by Antony; he strikes the first blow.
Originally played by: Academy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor (The Barefoot Contessa), Golden Globe Winner for Best Supporting Actor (The Barefoot Contessa, Seven Days in May)
Edmond O'Brien
My Choice: Academy Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor (Hotel Rwanda), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor and Best Film (Crash), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (Traffic, Crash)
Don Cheadle
Who counts as both a character actor and yet starry enough to be part of a starry ensemble? Friends, look no further than the incredibly versatile, shockingly underrated Don Cheadle.
CAIUS CASSIUS
Who is He: Brother-in-law of Brutus. Feels Caesar has too much power, and fears Rome will soon be ruled by him as dictator. The organizer of the conspirators.
Originally played by: Academy Award/Golden Globe Winner for Best Supporting Actor (Arthur), BAFTA Award Winner for Best [British] Actor (Julius Caesar) and Best Supporting Actor (Murder on the Orient Express), SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Shine)
John Gielgud
My Choice: Hollmann Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor (Django Unchained), Academy Award/SAG Award Nominee/BAFTA Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor (Pulp Fiction), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor - Musical/Comedy (Jackie Brown) and Best Supporting Actor (Pulp Fiction, A Time to Kill)
Samuel L. Jackson
Yes, the man they call Samuel "Yell" Jackson is capable of great subtlety (Black Snake Moan) -- and I don't need to tell you of the many times he's played a great villain. But Cassius isn't evil, per se -- he's jealous and manipulative, certainly, but I loved the layers of hopelessness and empathy Gielgud tapped into. And I think Jackson can do that!
JULIUS CAESAR
Who is He: Oh, come on, you know who Caesar is. Dictator of the Roman Republic. General. Beloved of the people. Perhaps getting too powerful?
Who is He: Oh, come on, you know who Caesar is. Dictator of the Roman Republic. General. Beloved of the people. Perhaps getting too powerful?
Originally played by: Academy Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor (The Magnificent Yankee)
Louis Calhern
My Choice: Academy Award/SAG Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor (Million Dollar Baby), Golden Globe Winner for Best Actor - Musical/Comedy (Driving Miss Daisy)
Morgan Freeman
I thought, "Who could deliver the hell out of 'Shall Caesar tell a lie?'" And immediately, I knew Freeman could bring the authority and charisma, the swagger and ambition, and finally -- the confusion and pain. The people love Caesar -- do we not also love Morgan Freeman?
MARK ANTONY
Who is He: Caesar's righthand man, devoted -- and historically, the high priest of a sanctioned Caesar cult. Weird! Anyway, Antony is Cassius's equal in manipulation, a clever man who whips the Roman people into a frenzy against the conspirators.
Who is He: Caesar's righthand man, devoted -- and historically, the high priest of a sanctioned Caesar cult. Weird! Anyway, Antony is Cassius's equal in manipulation, a clever man who whips the Roman people into a frenzy against the conspirators.
Originally played by: Academy Award/Golden Globe Winner for Best Actor (On the Waterfront, The Godfather), BAFTA Award Winner for Best Foreign Actor (Viva Zapata!, Julius Caesar, On the Waterfront)
Marlon Brando
My Choice: Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor - Drama (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom), SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (American Gangster)
Idris Elba
Powerful presence -- and I like the idea of one Mandela taking the reigns from another.
Powerful presence -- and I like the idea of one Mandela taking the reigns from another.
MARCUS BRUTUS
Who is He: An honorable man. And he is! Brutus kills Caesar, but he truly believes it is for the good of Rome. He prevents more bloodshed than deemed necessary (Cassius wants to kill Antony, too) -- alas, that act of mercy splits the empire. Spokesperson for the conspirators, and according to my essay in sophomore English, the tragic hero of the tale.
Who is He: An honorable man. And he is! Brutus kills Caesar, but he truly believes it is for the good of Rome. He prevents more bloodshed than deemed necessary (Cassius wants to kill Antony, too) -- alas, that act of mercy splits the empire. Spokesperson for the conspirators, and according to my essay in sophomore English, the tragic hero of the tale.
Originally played by: Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The Pumpkin Eater, The Last of Sheila), Academy Award Nominee for Best Actor (A Star is Born) and Best Supporting Actor (Georgy Girl, The Verdict), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best British Actor (Lolita, The Dangerous Affair), Golden Globe Winner for Best Actor - Musical/Comedy (A Star is Born)
James Mason
My Choice: Academy Award Winner for Best Actor (Training Day) and Best Supporting Actor (Glory), Golden Globe Winner for Best Actor (The Hurricane) and Best Supporting Actor (Glory), SAG Award Nominee for Best Actor (The Hurricane, Training Day, Flight) and Best Ensemble (American Gangster)
Denzel WashingtonA role he already played on Broadway, true, but one that is worthy of a man of his talents. Brutus is arguably the lead of the piece, the one whose journey we follow closest, yet Antony has always gotten the Movie Star -- Brando, Heston, etc. It's time to give the role the star treatment it deserves.
Who would you cast in a remake of Julius Caesar? Sound off in the comments below -- or on The Silver Screening Room Facebook page!
1 comment:
I'm a Denzel Washington non-believer but otherwise I love this. (I might switch him and Cheadle, for example.) Samuel Jackson as Cassius is inspired.
"and I like the idea of one Mandela taking the reigns from another"
My thought process: "Wait, Marlon Brando played Mandela?"
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