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EXCLUSIVE: Jason Clarke is the first actor set for the Kathryn Bigelow-directed drama about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden for Sony Pictures and Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures. An elite group of actors is being courted for the ensemble. I’m told that Clarke–who stars in the Ellison-produced The Wettest County in the World and is playing the gas station owner George Wilson in the Baz Luhrmann-directed The Great Gatsby–will play a terrorist hunter in service of the U.S. efforts to hunt Bin Laden. Also being discussed for roles are Tom Hardy (who also stars in Wettest County), Jennifer Ehle (Contagion), Guy Pearce (who starred in Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker), Idris Elba, Rooney Mara (upcoming Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Nina Arianda (Midnight In Paris). The plan is to start production early next year, so availability could be an issue for some of the actors. Mark Boal wrote the script and is producing with Ellison and Greg Shapiro.
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Sounds like an awesome cast if they could pull everyone listed together for it.
So happy to see Nina Arianda being discussed for something like this. She is so incredible in Venus in Fur on Broadway and is going to go far!
Are you kidding. Some of these Brits and Aussies let out their real accents when they play Americans. But then again, think about it. The American Culture is so pervasive while the British and Australian is not. Everyone knows about everything in America because Hollywood has spread it everywhere. So its very easy for a non-American to do the accent well. But the problem is that a lot of these non-Amricans just don’t look the part. Sam Wothington, Tom Hardy, and Joel Edgerton, just look like Wussies. Not real tough guys. Plus they have no Charisma like the American actors. In sum, its a testament that if your a Brit or Ausie, you have to play an AMerican because no one wants to see a movie about Britain or Australia.
Yes, please fill this American story with a bunch a Brits and Australian actors. Since UK and Australia are terrific about hiring American actors.
Only Rooney Mara and Nina Arianda (I guess getting heat because of her Broadway turn) are the only Americans.
I’m excited. That would be a great cast!
She should pick the best actors available for the roles, as long as they can do a decent American accent, which all of the actors named above can certainly do. “Brits (Aussies/Canadians/whatever) shouldn’t be playing an American role!” was a stupid argument when Vivien Leigh was cast as Scarlett O’Hara, and it hasn’t gotten any smarter over the decades.
Yes, congratulations Kathryn on your selection of selection for a non-American American Navy Seal team. This is getting sickening – what’s with Hollywood casting? Is the pool of talented
American actors so impoverished?
Yes, congratulations Kathryn on your selection of a non-American American Navy Seal team. This is getting sickening – what’s with Hollywood casting? Is the pool of talented American actors so impoverished?
Thats why it’s called acting.
Gandhi was played amazingly by a Brit.
Bond has been played amazingly by a yank.
Donkey was played amazingly by a human.
Acting is acting- nationality not important, only talent.
Which Bond was a yank? Not Connery, Moore, Dalton, or Craig. All Brits. The closest is George Lazenby, who was born in Australia. And you can’t call that performance “amazing”.
Jennifer Ehle is American.
Brits are just better…deal with it. Its a meritocracy, not a oooh I’m american so I’d better get the part. cock!
Saying Ehle is American is like saying Mel Gibson is American because he was born in NY. Her mother is British & she alternated between the US & the UK all her life, especially for her acting training.
Its not the “acting” thats the issue or their nationality, love Brit/Aus actors. Its the business side thats the issue. It matters because as an industry, you try to employ as many of your fellow countrymen as possible. Same thing as shipping jobs overseas, I mean one screw turner is as good as the next right?
AND it creates a false idea about the quality of talent in this country and the training institutions (NYU, Yale, CAL Arts, NC School of the Arts, etc), which further hurts business down the line. Not to mention all the agents who stuff their rosters with foreign actors, “make” them & then export them to the rest of the world. There’s nothing sexy in saying I rep an actor from Des Moines
Business, Money, prestige & craft, in this instance, all go hand in hand. And if you think I’m just being sensitive, Aussie’s & Brits don’t want Americans playing them in their productions…stuff like BRIDGET JONES & SHERLOCK HOLMES are Hollywood productions but U won’t see any Americans as Brits in LOCK STOCK & TWO SMOKING BARRELS or DOWNTOWN ABBEY.
Case in point: http://www.aoltv.com/2011/11/07/elisabeth-moss-new-role-sparks-controversy-in-australia/
Thank you Jug. You hit the nail on the head. I also recommend that the insecurity of American filmmakers allows them to be seduced into believing that a British accent is a mark of superiority, better training, using the right fork, you name it. The U.S. does have extraordinary talent that comes out of great schools and universities yearly, in masses, but Hollywood trips over itself it seems to hire that accent that wears an ascot. When will we ever get over our colonial complex?
BTW thank you for posting that article about Australia up in arms over a production casting an American over an Australian. Brilliant to point that out!
You’re very welcome. I don’t mess around with all that “he said, she said” trolling crap. I prefer to let the facts speak for themselves.
And you guys are right, you can find a slew of cats that could do CHICAGO CODE or WARRIOR or I AM NUMBER FOUR etc etc. Look at most of the “It” boy names being bandied about, how many of them are Aussie or British? Why no Russians, they’re damn fine actors too.
If it was sooo much about talent or “the best actor”, Sam Worthington, Archie Panjabi & Simon Baker would have lost their jobs a long time ago. The last two, on their shows, don’t seem to even care about their accents anymore-so much so that sometimes they’ll go almost a whole episode without keeping it. And I love both of them as actors, but c’mon, they would’ve been shredded if they were Americans on L&O: UK or DR. WHO & fucked up their accent LOL
We have a love affair with Brits & Aussies. Period.
I agree with “Jug”. First off, Runaway production is still a huge problem. So many productions are still shooting in Canada, Some shoot almost exclusively in Vancouver, among plenty of others. The cast list of such projects boast talent with all kinds of credits on American projects. The co-star roles alone, many LA and NY based actors would love to have, or at least the opportunity to read for, especially now, let alone the starring roles. Jason Clarke is a fine actor by the way, love his work. However, there are plenty of Americans that can play heavies or “tough” guys. There isn’t a Chicago actor that could have been the lead on the now cancelled Chicago Code? While a good actor, his Chicago accent was shoddy. I heard casting directors on NPR’s “the business” a few months back discussing why Brit and Aussie actors were better leads for Dramas in the US. They were more “manly”. Horseshit. Now I’m not saying that the Russell Crowe’s and Hugh Laurie’s aren’t talented. I’m only saying that I know plenty of Americans that could do the job and deserve a chance to work their craft at home.
Working for a Production Company I would love to help some of my actor friends work. Not pure nepotism, just to get them in and have a chance to audition. Its futile bc we already know all those jobs, with the exception of name actors, will be out sourced to the local Canadians or where ever we are trying to get a break in Eastern Europe.
Sounds great.
Americans — what is American? My mother was British. I was born here. Does that make me not an American?
The Cherokee nation and other native American tribes are the only true natives of America. We are a nation of immigrants. Get over it.
Brits & Aussies are better actors. Face it. Who the hell do we got? Ryan Reynolds? Our young male actors are on screen for their looks and not their talent.
Are you kidding. Some of these Brits and Aussies let out their real accents when they play Americans. But then again, think about it. The American Culture is so pervasive while the British and Australian is not. Everyone knows about everything in America because Hollywood has spread it everywhere. So its very easy for a non-American to do the accent well. But the problem is that a lot of these non-Amricans just don’t look the part. Sam Wothington, Tom Hardy, and Joel Edgerton, just look like Wussies. Not real tough guys. Plus they have no Charisma like the American actors. In sum, its a testament that if your a Brit or Ausie, you have to play an AMerican because no one wants to see a movie about Britain or Australia.
LMAO. Ryan Reynolds is Canadian.
Ryan Gosling, Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Foster, Leonardo DiCaprio, Edward Norton to name a few. And, with the exception of Norton, none of these other guys “trained” at RADA, Guildhall, Rose Buford, or Central School in London or an IVY league school in the States. In fact, Gosling’s training was from The Mickey Mouse Club.
That’s some of “who we got”…Sue.
Ryan Gosling is Canadian as is Ryan Reynolds. Sorry to disappoint you, Sue and Vincent.
One thing to consider when casting is the actor’s appeal in foreign territories especially when financing comes from the almighty foreign pre-sales. This film has its distro in place already (Columbia Pics), so I’m assuming they aren’t casting in order to gain pre-sale financing. Ultimately, though, they do need to think about selling tickets in foreign countries as that is where most films recoup their investment and more often than not, an international cast will help in this matter.
I do understand, though, the desire for an American cast in a film full of Navy Seals depicting the hunt and kill of Public Enemy No. 1.
its all about reality tv in the U.S. They only have themselves to blame. there is no substance in American actors these days. Blake Lively give me a break. can’t stand the sight of her. Lindsay Lohan please someone lock her up already. The list goes on Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Aston Kutcher, Demi Moore, Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson and yes Leonardo Dicaprio. Tabloid actors thats what i call them.
I think foreign countries do a better job of developing their young talented actors. They get to a certain level and then they start getting cast in American films. The problem is that even small indie American films are expected to cast big stars for financing. It’s very difficult to get a film made or shown in a good festival without recognizable talent. We’re not able to cast people based on their talent or whether they are right for the role. In many cases, you see children of stars or famous musicians cast in movie after movie…who display no talent whatsoever, but they have name recognition. Kathryn Bigelow has actually done a very good job of casting breakout talent in the past, but you need bigger names for a Hollywood film.
So happy that Nina Arianda is on Bigelow’s radar. I just saw her in Venus in Fur on Broadway and she is incredible. She’s the most exciting, new actress I have seen in years and would love to see her in a great film role.
Who cares!? This movie will take another two years to get made, and another year in post before Sony decides to throw it under a bus with a limited release. And who announces their casting ideas before anyone is locked…sounds like someone loves being in the headlines. I’ve been hearing about this film for over a year now, every step of the way…sheesh
Today’s Hollywood is a joke. These are good actors but NO ONE wants to see them. Look at their box office. What a joke. And BTW KBigelow, war is not a drug. I’ve been there. You’re casting of non Americans is un American and I hope your film is as unrealistic as your last – no matter how many awards your buddies shower you with.