Favorite portrayal of an iconic figure

Spout blog has a list of "10 Surprisingly Good Portrayals of Iconic Figures". I figured I'd start a thread here to see what your favorites were.

I'm gonna start it off with Lou Diamond Phillips playing the late Ritchie Valens just cause I've seen that movie so many freaking times it's almost sad. But I really think he was perfectly cast (even though he isn't even Latino).

So who do you think did a great job portraying the main character in a biopic?

Tags: biopic, favorite, portrayals

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Permalink Reply by Cheryl on May 11, 2009 at 12:01pm: Henry Fonda as Abe Lincoln. It really shouldn't work, but it does.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Knaldskalle on May 11, 2009 at 3:00pm: Charlie Kaufman is definitely an ironic figure, portrayed well by Jim Carrey.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Desperate Living on May 12, 2009 at 11:07pm: John Hurt as The Elephant Man; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by beeswax on May 13, 2009 at 12:14am: I thought Ian Hart did a great job playing a young John Lennon in The Hours and Times, and so did the people who hired him to reprise the part in Backbeat.

And Cate Blanchett was a wonder to behold as Bob Dylan in I'm Not There, especially for anyone who's watched Don't Look Back.

I wasn't crazy about the movie, but Stephen Fry and Jude Law did great jobs playing Oscar Wilde and that damn Bosey in Wilde. I also like the Oscar Wilde played by Peter Egan in Lillie.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Desperate Living on May 17, 2009 at 4:04am: I wasn't wild about wilde either but Fry / Law did a great job.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by photo heathen on May 13, 2009 at 12:24am: I thought both Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett were great in their respective roles as Ike & Tina Turner in What's Love Got to Do With It.

I also liked Toby Jones as Truman Capote in Infamous. I thought he did a better job than PSH.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by beeswax on May 13, 2009 at 12:34am: I also liked Toby Jones as Truman Capote in Infamous. I thought he did a better job than PSH.

Agreed. (Jones was also amusing in a small bit as Swifty Lazar in Frost/Nixon...)

Which reminds me! Philip Baker Hall as Nixon in Secret Honor. Rules.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by e manderthal on May 13, 2009 at 7:39am: My favorite is Meryl Streep as Julia Child in Julie & Julia.
The movie's gotta be great as well, since Mary Lynn Rajskub is also in it.

How could it not be good? There's that proven flavor match of Meryl and Amy, add a good dose of Mary Lynn, a reliable Ephron binder to hold it all together, throw in a dash of Tucci, and voila!
It's a Masterpiece! Mom would be proud!

105 people have already rated it, so I better go write a review.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Moviebunny on May 13, 2009 at 9:07am: Jeremy Quinto as Mr. Spock in Star Trek, the new and improved movie. Although Leonard Nemory reprises his iconic role, he is listed as Mr. Spock Prime, and prime me is.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by JDoors on May 13, 2009 at 10:22am: Here's a couple out of left field: Ted Neeley as Jesus and Carl Anderson as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar.; ▶ Reply to This