Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!"

Update [2008-6-1 16:37:46 by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner]: Now with photos of the real-life people alongside the actors.

And now for something completely different (and less serious)...

I was reading Zack Dennis' diary at dKos a couple days ago, in which he attempted to cast "Primary '08."

There's been other "casting the primary" discussions before, and I thoroughly enjoy 'em. It's fun matching actors to the real-life politicos who've been occupying our TVs for months and years.

Below is the list I've put together (with a few borrowed from Zack and others).

Now it's your turn to help fill in some of the remaining gaps or make alternate suggestions. Central Casting is always looking for ideas, so even if someone's penciled in for a role, we'll bump them if you come up with a better fit. (And if you think someone's missing from the script entirely, add 'em in.)

However, there are two rules:

  1. You can't re-use actors from Primary Colors in the same roles, so no John Travolta as Bill, Emma Thompson as Hillary, etc.
  2. No "joke" suggestions ("Jabba as Mark Penn!"). I've heard them all before, and we'll never make our release date if we just clown around here, people.

So here goes (and I apologize that the picture formatting makes the diary stretch out a while)...

Hillary Clinton: Sharon Stone or Susan Sarandon (gchaucer's recommendation)
Bill Clinton: Warren Beatty (not a lookalike, but Beatty's got starpower befitting a president.) . Another suggestion for Bill was David Morse
Chelsea Clinton: Alison Lohman
Barack Obama: Will Smith (again, it's about the starpower. We need to sell tickets!)
Now, if we're not concerned with box-office (maybe we're aiming for that artsy Sundance vibe?), then we could use Harry Lennix instead .  Even less-known but most closely resembling Obama is Scott Lawrence.
Michelle Obama: Kimberly Elise
John McCain: Richard Dreyfus
Cindy McCain: Joan Allen
Howard Dean: Mark Harmon
George W. Bush: Chris Cooper
Mark Penn: Edward Herrmann
David Axelrod: Jeffrey Tambor (not sure about this one, but there's not many balding guys with mustaches I can think of)
John Edwards: Bill Paxton (he even sounds just like him)
Mitt Romney: Bruce Campbell
Bill Richardson: Graham Greene
Rudy Giuliani: Joe Pantoliano
Mike Huckabee: Kevin Spacey
Ron Paul: John Mahoney (a.k.a. Frasier's dad)
Joe Biden: ???
Fred Thompson: Kelsey Grammar (with makeup)
Chris Dodd: Peter Gallagher (with makeup and silver wig)
Mike Gravel: Harve Presnell (of Fargo fame; w/o mustache)
Dennis Kucinich: ???
Duncan Hunter, Jim Gilmore, Tommy Thompson, Sam Brownback: Just cast some extras. No one cared about these guys even when they were running.
Tom Tancredo: Harvey Keitel (no one cared about him, either, but at least he was nuts, and nuts makes for good cinema)
Geraldine Ferrarro: Lee Meriwether
Jeremiah Wright: Walter Mosley (the author; this may be cheating, but he looks more like Wright than any actor I could think of)
Ed Rendell: Jon Polito (sounds like him, too; w/o mustache)
Chris Matthews: Philip Seymour Hoffman (thanks to RigsoHC)
Tim Russert: Brendan Gleeson
Keith Olberman: John Larroquette (though he's considerably older)  



Display:


Re: Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!" (2.00 / 3)

Anything starring Bruce Campbell is automatically 10x more awesome.


by TCQuad on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:17:01 PM EST

Re: Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!" (2.00 / 1)

Romney's already so close to a parody that Bruce would be perfect. Can you imagine him standing at a podium and saying things like, "Aw, shucks"?


by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:18:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!" (2.00 / 2)

We'd need a scene of him attacking the zombie onslaught of Paulbots.


should we go outside? / should we break some bread? / are you'nterested?
by Firewall on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:20:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!" (2.00 / 1)

First we'll get to see the moment he decided to run.

I'm guessing it'll look something like this:

Except the version that at least pretended to be moderate lost to the conservative wing-nut version.


by TCQuad on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 04:00:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!" (2.00 / 2)

Hilarious....I love Kevin Spacey as Huckabee....and wow, Bill paxton would make one sexy John Edwards.

Can we get an older woman to play Hillary, though?


by Deadalus on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 04:32:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!" (none / 0)

Susan Sarandon had been Zack Dennis' pick in the diary from which I bummed this idea, so I added her in here.

I'm still partial to Sharon Stone (she projects a more "in control" presence, and has a clearer politician's voice than Sarandon), but hey, we haven't signed anyone to contracts yet.


by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 04:42:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!" (none / 0)

You are so right about Susan's voice not being up to snuff.  Need someone with more power in their intonation.  

I love Meryl Streep....so I'd go with her.


by Deadalus on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 04:52:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!" (none / 0)

Let's get some actors for the real characters in this campaign season:

Howard Wolfson
Terry McAuliffe
and Lanny Davis.


by Deadalus on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 04:54:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!" (none / 0)

Thompson should play himself, just to see if can be more compelling working from a script.


The future is unwritten
by Strummerson on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:19:24 PM EST

Re: Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!" (none / 0)

Heh...other people mentioned that on dKos, but I think that would be a little too easy.


by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:28:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Suggestion. (none / 0)

haha, that was a lot of fun.

but if you have time, I'd add pictures of the candidates, etc., just so we can compare em more easily.


democracy!
by BlueGAinDC on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:20:33 PM EST

Re: Suggestion. (2.00 / 1)

Yeah, I knew I should've done that. I'll try to get to it in a bit.


by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:28:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Suggestion. (none / 0)

Done.


by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 04:31:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Make Fred Thompson play Fred Thompson! (2.00 / 1)


John McCain on social security.
by heresjohnny on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:29:46 PM EST

Re: Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!" (1.33 / 3)

Joey Pants stands in for Rudy!  That's classic!


Obama/Adam West or Bruce Campbell or Lucy Lawless '08
by Purple with Green Stipes and Pink Polka Dots Dem on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:34:22 PM EST

Re: Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!" (none / 0)

Actually, David Morse looks a lot like Ickes, if you color his hair.  Or, maybe James Taylor could play him.


by rfahey22 on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:37:50 PM EST

After Sharon Stone's (none / 0)

comment re: China's earthquake being karma for oppression of Tibet -- nix her.  I'm an Obama supporter but someone less offensive could be found for Hillary -- Meryl Streep?

And where the hank is Daniel Day Lewis?  He must have a role if I am to pay to see this movie.  Wexler?


by gchaucer2 on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:39:08 PM EST

Re: After Sharon Stone's (none / 0)

Hadn't really thought of Stone's China comments, though I don't think it really matters, as this is  just for fun.

Others had suggested Susan Sarandon and, yes, Meryl Streep. I think Sharon Stone looks a lot more like her than either of those two. I thought it was a compliment to Clinton that Stone would play her, but  maybe others feel differently.


by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:44:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: After Sharon Stone's (2.00 / 1)

Actually, Susan Sarandon would be great.  I know this is play-time, but either Sarandon or Streep would be able to perfectly capture the persona -- Stone doesn't have the talent for it.  


by gchaucer2 on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:47:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!" (2.00 / 1)

The Mittens one is so full of win


Tony Romo for Secretary of Awesome
by kasjogren on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:39:38 PM EST

Very fun diary (2.00 / 1)

and thanks for the pictures -- which are marvelous.  Now, please create a role for Steve Buscemi as the weasley campaign operative -- I don't care which camp, but more interesting in Obama's.  I've had a serious crush on Buscemi for years -- just call it a canine fetish and be done with it.


by gchaucer2 on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:42:31 PM EST

How fun! I really hope they do a huge hollywood (2.00 / 1)

blockbuster about this election full of drama and huge rallies. I think it would make a great movie, analyzing the candidates and all, we'll have to wait for at least one book though, we will probably see one by an insider by the end of the year! I cant wait, and your choices are great, i cant do any better.   For XMatthews though, id say Phillip Seymour hoffgman maybe?


DEMOCRATIC 08!
by rigsoHC on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:43:09 PM EST

Re: How fun! I really hope they do a huge hollywoo (none / 0)

Hey, that's pretty good. The dKos diary had Hoffman as Karl Rove, but since he wasn't involved in the primary, I think we can use Hoffman elsewhere. I like it and will update the diary.


by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:46:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!" (2.00 / 2)

OMG!! Tips & Rec'd this is HYSTERICAL....

I'm surprised that Amy Poehler (snl) and other SNL castmemebers are mentioned!!!

otherwise -

I LOVE your picks.....

you do need to find a father Pledger (?)

david axelrod and terry mccauliff....

also donna brazille

BTW, I like Will Smith as BO....use the other black actors as Roland Martin or Jamal....

too bad you can't find a role for Halle Berry, cuz I love her.....


by nikkid on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 03:59:13 PM EST

Re: Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!" (2.00 / 1)

I'm very glad you enjoyed it. There's a lot more surrogates, supporters and politicians that could've been included, but at some point I had to cut it off.

I'm sure there are good matches for McAuliffe, Brazille, Bayh, McCaskill, etc., but I kept it to the main players.


by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 04:31:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!" (none / 0)

Meryl Streep for Hillary! Anyone remember Manchurian Candidate from 2004? Amen!


by rossinatl on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 04:48:09 PM EST

Re: Casting "Primary '08: The Movie!" (none / 0)


by rossinatl on Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 04:52:23 PM EST


You are not logged in.

In order to post a comment, you must be logged in. If you have a member account, please log in to comment.

If not, you can make an account right here. It's quick and free.