Walter Isaacson’s upcoming biography of Steve Jobs has according to rumor already been picked up for a $1M option by Hollywood, but who should play Steve? Here are some casting ideas, some great (bring back Noah Wyle!), some not so great (Michael Cera?) Who is your favorite?
[via The Week]
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
251 responses to “Who Should Play Steve Jobs In The Upcoming Hollywood Biopic? [Gallery]”
Um, that’s not Daniel Craig, that’s Ralph Fiennes.
Whoever Noah Wyle is, that guy has my “vote”…nobody really has Steve Jobs’ nose. And Daniel Craig…c’mon, if iPods were attacking the universe then maybe.
I believe that first picture is of Ralph Fiennes and not Daniel Craig, no?
Noah Wyle played Steve in “Pirates of Silicon Valley.” It would be great if he reprised the role.
Noah Wyle, without a doubt. He did a great job playing Jobs in Pirates of Silicone Valley.
LEO
Tom Hanks would surely play his role very well
noah!!!!!
Yes your right
Yep!
Noah or Stanley Tucci…and Noah already did it anyways!
Jeremy Irons
Obviously Michael Cera
Ralph Fiennes or Noah Wyle.
Ralph Fiennes; not Daniel Craig. Fail.
To me, it’s a toss-up between Andrew Garfield or Edward Norton. When it comes to acting chops, I think Norton edges out Garfield. He has the intensity and the vocal quality you’d expect in Steve Jobs. Garfield could handle the age range of Jobs’ life, if he’s not busy with other, comic-book-related projects.
Daniel Radcliffe or Tony Danza
Dude that first guy is not Daniel Craig!!
The first is not Daniel Craig, it’s Ralph Fiennes. And yes, he would do a great Jobs after Wyle and it doesn’t hurt that he’s a superb actor.
Cera, Noah & tucci
All three of them if there making a film about his life from young to older steve
I pick Michael Cera, just for the general hilarity.
Noah Wyle
Joseph Gordon-Levitt has to be the first choice for me for a young jobs.
Denzel Washington…. That dude can ACT!
bale!!
Edward Norton… That dude can put on a character like Steve Jobs for sure. christian bale is great, but I don’t think he can do a steve jobs character. Noah Wyle definitely wins the look-a-like contest hands down!
Tom hanks or ryan gosling !!
Why not Ashton Kutcher? He looks like the 80s Steve…
I’ll save them some money and do it for FREE.
Kevin Costner
Noah Wyle (Steve Jobs) he did it once, he can do it again. First time was in Pirates of Silicon Valley, a film that was made in 1999.
Christian Bale is far and away one of the top actors in hollywood. No one would be a better fit to represent Steve in all his different looks and, unfortunately, levels of health as Bale. He’s known for his intense weight losses and ability to play a huge amount of roles. I’d love to see him try it.
Noah Wyle, hands down. He did a great job in “Pirates of Silicone Valley” and even got a compliment from Steve Jobs himself on his portrayal. I think that alone should be enough!
Noah + less and grey hair + spectacles = !!!!
But… why another british dude Ralph Fiennes is mistaken for Daniel Craig?
lol’d so hard @ Michael Cera
It’s all in the nose, and Wyle is the clear winner in that department.
Hugh Laurie should play Steve Jobs. He will be a perfect fit
noah wyle would be best to play this role. Steve Jobs said it himself, “he plays me better than me.”
and is black
Where have you been in the 90s when everyone was watching ER?
Without a doubt, the role of young Steve should be played by Ashton Kutcher. Just look at this pic. A different actor should play Steve in later years.
Noah Wyle should be steve :-)
I think James Cromwell would be great as an older Steve Jobs.
Saw this in my feed and had to open the site just to comment. Ralph Fiennes is an absolutely terrific actor (better than Craig, IMHO), but I don’t think he could pass as Daniel Craig…not even remotely. :D
Don’t know about Jobs, but Ryan Stiles should play Tim Cook, hands down!
Noah Wyle!!! Though, Stanley Tucci looks like a good fit too
Dwayne Johnson?
Sylvester Stalone! *joking
Stanley Tucci would be my pic, but get Morgan Freeman as narrator!
You guys realize your pic for Daniel Craig is actually Ralph Fiennes?
ashton kutcher for a young steve
ben kingsley for an older steve
100% – Noah Wyle! He was really good in Pirates of Silicon Valley. They could even use some of the old footage and photographs from the 1999 movie, to create even more realistic setting.
What’s with the random picture stuff? Some pics with captions, some without, some with wrong ones? Incidentally it is about the LIFE of Steve Jobs, not a recent picture so you comparing a very recent picture of Steve with actors to see how closely they match a 2010-11 pic is somewhat pointless.
I will kill myself if it’s Cera.
John McEnroe should play steve jobs
Kevin Spacey
The first one is Ralph Fiennes
Jason Statham also sort of looks like Jobs
Ralph Fiennes could never pass as Daniel Craig but he could pass as Steve. Given that Noah Wyle is on a tv that I do believe has not been cancelled, he might not be available. So Fiennes would be a good second choice.
As for Cera, he might work for a very young Steve but only if they were going to jump from teenager to like 30 years old and wanted to show that a ton of time had passed.
Wyle is probably the only one of the bunch that can be reasonably aged down via hair and makeup and a light CGI to play college Steve and continue through to more or less today.
That said, I still say that Sony is cracked if they are going to try to make a movie. There is so much in this history that they need to be thinking TV not feature. This is prime miniseries material. 4-6 hours either as 2 2 hour nights or a 6 week tv ‘event’. People are so hungry for info about Steve that blogs are going the tactless route of hit baiting on his death certificate, they would tune in for this. If they put it up on iTunes it would take the charts for weeks. Limited edition DVD set with an authentic Steve Jobs black turtleneck (okay it would cost you like $250 but folks would pay that). No blu-ray of course cause we know how Steve feels about blu-ray.
Unfortunately Steve didn’t live long enough to have a Tucci period.
You forgot Keanu Reeves, he looks similar to the young Jobs.
Casting for biopics is rarely to never done on the nose. or any other part of the look. It’s about being able to play the actual character. If they have to sacrifice a match on the look so be it.
So we’ll likely end up with some blond haired actor that doesn’t look a think like Steve and is probably not even American sporting the hair dye and wigs to play him. For those that follow movies, think the change from bleach blonde and pale as a ghost Jennifer Lawrence being dyed top to bottom to play tanned and brunette whatever her name is in that Battle Royale rip off movie everyone is comparing to Twilight.
speaking of twilight, you put Michael Cera and Andrew Garfield on the list but you don’t put Twilight boy. He’s already got the background for playing “magical” and “amazing”. He even sparkles. Would that be great casting.
Samuel L. Jackson.
It’s casting for a film not a like-a-like contest!
“I want this mother f**** Flash off my mother f**** phone!
Ashton Kutcher as a younger Steve.
Michael Cera would be better as a your Bill Gates! But for Steve, I’d go with Christian Bale. I don’t think Noah Wyle would reprise the role, that’s kinda cheesy but who knows…
Hey John, the first guy in the picture is Ralph Fiennes, not Daniel Craig.
I’d vote for Noah Wyle again. He did a great job in Pirates of Silicone Valley, and he also got to meet Jobs in person for a Mac World.
Noah has (very successfully) played Steve before, he’s met Steve, he had Steve’s approval and compliments. Why is this even a discussion? Noah Wyle.
Noah Wyle as Steve Jobs!
Noah Wyle as Steve Jobs!
Christian Bale played Batman, so in other words he is now ready to play as Steve Jobs.
It’s indeed Ralph Fiennes, not Daniel Craig on the first picture. Ralph Fiennes would be just AMAZING, A genius actor for a genius creator…
Noah Wyle
Exactly what I said. The thought of a hipster Jobs made me throw up a little.
Stanley Tucci
Chris Eccleston
Not sure if anyone mentioned it yet or not, but that’s not Daniel Craig, it’s Ralph Fiennes.
Noah Wyle with Edward Norton’s voice… That would be pretty close to perfect.
Christian bale — he got the looks and personality.
noah wyle… duh
…by any doubt Noah Wyle, of course…
Noah Wyle, of course…
Noah Wyle, Ralph Fiennes, or Stanley Tucci in that order.
You guys know that isn’t Daniel Craig, right?
Who’s the guy above Edward Norton? Sorry, I don’t know his name. But whoever he is, I think he’s the best fit.
I totally agree!!! It is much more important to focus on someone that could play a young Steve, as it is much easier to age a character that to make him look younger! I could be a great breakout role for Kutcher and a great carrier move into the serious world of acting a’la Tom Hanks.
Noah Wyle IS Steve Jobs! Hehe…
Christian Bale
That Sir…..is awesome lol
Larry David.
Yes, that’s a joke. But a much better joke than some of the suggestions above.
Were some of the people polled drunk?
ashton kutcher
Kaiser Motherfuking Soze
Noah Wyle damnit!!!!
Stanley Tucci
How about this one? Just add round frames …
Ralph Fiennes http://www.imdb.com/name/nm000…
Noah Wyle of course ! as he already did (in Pirates of Silicon Valley).
Let’s just pick all actors with round heads and good smiles.
and for the LOVE of GOD that is not Daniel Craig!
Jeff Bridges WAS (an Evil) Steve in the original Ironman…
stanley tucci all the way!
With that grin, Tom Cruise hands down.
Even better, Jason Alexander/George Costanza from Seinfeld.
Hugh Laurie. Definitely.
Noah Wyle…that guy’s almost as good at being Steve Jobs as Steve was!
daniel radcliffe
This is ridiculous. There is no way it can be anyone other than Christina Applegate.
Don’t know if Christopher Eccelston has ever played a role with an American accent, but he’s got the intensity, goofy charm and somewhat of the look to carry off a pretty good Jobs. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8H7t…
Joseph Fiennes
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm000…
Statham = Ive
Are you kidding me? Of course Noah Wyle! Not only he looks like Steve. His performance in Pirates of Silicon Valley was perfect! Hopefuly Sony Pictures won’t go for big name but hire very undervalued Wyle. Sony! Get the Noah Wyle, ask David Fincher to direct it, and you’ve got a winner.
Noah Wyle, for sure!!!
The Daniel Craig here looks more like Liam Neeson to me. Would be another candidate.
it should be tom hanks, sure he hardly looks like him BUT tom hanks will do a brilliant tribute to steve jobs, just because he is a pure class actor
Patrick Wilson.
That is not Daniel Craig.
But whoever he is, he bears the most resemblance to Steve Jobs.
Tom Hanks doesn’t look like Jobs but his acting is great.
Just say no to Christian Bale.
Noah. Obviously.
ashton kutcher looked a lot like him when he was younger…and their voices sound similar enough.
I’m sure that “Daniel Craig” isn’t actually Daniel Craig, I could sear thats Ralph Fiennes. Anyways, Noah Wyle for sure, but Ralph also has some striking resemblances.
You’ve all got it wrong
Jason Lee – he’s got the speech totally down
Or Noah…
Pirates of Silicon Valley was great….
You are correct.
You are correct.
He’s too old for it now but I’m sure that 15-20 years ago John Malkovich could of done the role very well.
Stanley Tucci or Noah
Stanley Tucci would do amazing. I could totally see him changing his whole way of acting to do the part. Anyone seen “The Lovely Bones”, “Julie and Julia” and “The Devil Wears Prada?” He did absolutely fantastic acting in those movies.
Christian Bale without a doubt.
Another option could be Justin Timberlake. Yeah, yeah I know he played Sean Parker, so it might be weird but he’s got the steel eyes and charm.
Bill Pullman must play Steve. Go watch Casper the Friendly Ghost and tell me if you disagree!! He would be Awesome!
Rowan Atkinson, of course.
ASHTON KUTCHER as a young version!!
Only Glenn Fitzgerald can do it. Remember Brian Darling from that awful show Dirty Sexy Money? The show was awful but he was insanely great in it.