“George Clooney is in the running to play late Apple boss Steve Jobs in a new movie,” The Sun reports.
“The actor, 50, is reportedly battling it out with his former ER co-star Noah Wyle, 40, for the role.,” The Sun reports. “George and Noah both played doctors in long-running hospital series ER, which picked up 23 Emmy Awards.”
The Sun reports, “The biopic, which is expected to start filming next year, will chart the life of the amazing entrepreneur, who died last month from pancreatic cancer at just 56.”
Read more in the full article here.
Back in October, David A. Kaplan reported for Fortune, “Noah Wyle, the erstwhile star of the medical drama ‘E.R.’ on NBC, already played Jobs once, in 1999 in the TNT cult classic, ‘Pirates of Silicon Valley.’ Jobs tolerated the production and, according to Wyle’s account, actually liked Wyle’s portrayal. Wyle’s game again. Reached in Vancouver on the set of the TNT series ‘Falling Skies,’ Wyle e-mailed me: ‘Are you kidding? I would give my eye teeth, in the heartbeat, of a New York minute. There are certain roles you wish you could tackle over and over again. That’s one for me.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Wyle’s already done it once and, for his efforts, has been invited up on the Macworld stage (1999, NYC) with Steve Jobs, plus he looks more like Jobs than Clooney, don’t you think? Christian Bale also springs to mind. More than looks, though, acting ability should be the main criteria! Let us know below and in our poll on the left side of the main website.
Noah!
That’s my vote.
Please, not Clooney…please.
I’ll take Noah.
I’ll take bale also.
Anyone but nutcase.. Err clooney.
Noah gets my vote; did a good job in Pirates of Silicon Valley, would like to see him continue that role because it doesnt really cover apple meteoric rise.
Clooney is too bulky. He could never do that Harryhausen-skeleton gait of Jobs.
Noah Wyle, Please. Clooney, I like, but Noah for Jobs
This isn’t a superhero franchise, like Spider-Man. I highly doubt Noah Wyle is even in consideration for the biopic.
WTF? George Clooney! I’d rather it be Rosemary Clooney!!!
Justin Long! I’m not kidding on this. Looks more like Jobs than Wylie does, is closely associated with the Mac like Jobs and that will bring believability to the role, and is a good actor. I’m not kidding.
Justin Long is a really good actor, and I could see him playing a young Steve Jobs, but Noah Wyle really is the right man for the job. He nailed it once and can do it again.
Definitely NOAH. MDN’s take is right on.
Clooney is great, but he’s too Clooney to ever disappear into Steve Jobs. Pick an unknown, who does not bring his personality with him!
Noah Wyle is a decent TV drama actor at best. Clooney, as much as so many men dislike him for whichever reasons, is an actor of depth, breadth and solid skill. In terms of acting chops, it is really unfair to compare the two. There is a reason why one is a global mega-star, while the other continues to toil in prime-time TV dramas.
This is not about finding a dead-ringer to Steve. If it is to be a good movie, it really needs to have good actors in it.
And I said that before I even saw the clip above. He tries hard, but he is just not really an actor in the same class.
agreed… clearly in the minority here, but Clooney has my vote for the older SJ, Justin Long for the younger Jobs, Hodgman for Gates, and playing Balmer… one of these two actors:
http://bit.ly/4vI35o
John Cusack might be an interesting contender. I think he is a good actor, and can bring a wise beyond the boyish charm/eye glint factor that Steve sported throughout his life. The later Steve can be played by Stanley Tucci or Malcovich. But I think a versatile single actor under a credible hand can pull off Steve through the years.
First thing’s first though, ditch much of official bio and hire a screenwriter, with an empathy bone, from within the tech industry.
I never saw Noah before, but as soon as I played the video on this page, and saw Noah walk out, his facial expressions sold me immediately!
As much as I like George Clooney, I could not see him as a credible portrayal of Steve Jobs.
Christian Bale should play Jobs. He looks like Jobs, he went really thin for The Machinist… He’s the one. Look even Steve is saying Noah’s getting it wrong. He was good in the TNT movie… Bale will in the Oscar… Again.
Bale would knock it out of the park! Brilliant casting choice!
Hollywood tends to go with the most popular and one that will bring in the ROI…a heavy hitter. It’s going to be Clooney.
I prefer Noah myself…but I don’t feel confident he’ll get it. I hope I am wrong.
Even though he’s annoying to me, Ashton Kutcher has the look and energy for the role. Recent photos of him bearded and beady-eyed really made me think of this. His immature characters he portrays could easily be bent enough to play Jobs.
Just sayin.
A.K. is also 6’4″.
Don’t think Steve was quite that tall.
Bale is a better actor than Wyle but I always see Wyle in the role. Clooney – no way.
Christian bale ALL THE WAY. Facially very similar, plus he is known to chew put people in the same manner.
When somebody mentioned Bale, I was like no way that guy’s a real douche, but when you consider what an incredible ass Steve could be. It seems to be a perfect fit!
You sir, have convinced me it must be Christian Bale!
Agreed – perfect choice! He could pull off Steve’s arrogance / focus / determination / genius more than anyone and will go through losing weight etc. to really do the part justice.
Based on looks alone, long-haired Ashton Kutcher looks strikingly similar to young Jobs. Acting-wise, Ashton would be my last choice.
Great video clip!!!!
I vote for John C. Dvorak
I vote for not bothering with a bio-pic at all. Seriously, how good could it be? We have a good supply of real footage for any fiction about Jobs to be needed.
Good point. The fictionalization of Steve Jobs is already out of hand. It’s been a remarkable lesson in how ‘history’ is turned into faerie tale.
Yeah, I’m talking at you Mossberg and Isaacson! 😕
Clooney just makes no sense. If not Wyle, then Jim Caviezel might be an interesting choice.
Clooney is an intriguing consideration. He could pull it off. But Bale would be a better choice as he is the better actor and can easily pull off Jobs’ manic moments. Wyle is FAR too nice a guy, a default ‘B’ type personality, who can’t even fathom what it’s like to be manic ‘A’ type Steve Jobs. Wyle is a great guy, but he is no Steve Jobs. I never did understand why he was in ‘Pirates of Silicon Valley’. Poor casting then and now. Sorry Noah.
I don’t think I could see Clooney as anyone but “Clooney playing a character”.
Almost feel that way about Christian Bale too.
Maybe it’s because we (on this site) know Jobs better than we know either of these other relatively unknown personalities : )
Robert Downey Jr. Best film actor of his generation.