Hollywood Reporter takes hallucinogens, lists potential actresses to play Grace Kelly
In some fresh hell of internet dream-casting, The Hollywood Reporter revealed pretty much every blonde actress in Hollywood a selection of actresses they think could play Grace Kelly in the new upcoming biopic about the actress-turned-princess.
Let's take a look at their choices and muse on the possibilities...have some good laughs (and maybe a good cry).
Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Seyfried has a smoldering look with heavy eye-liner and a short black wig 20th Century Fox’s upcoming thriller, In Time, but it’s her curly blonde locks and super-sweet smile that charmed fans in several rom-coms. Since Mean Girls in 2004, Seyfriend has been expanding her resume, trying horror, thriller and mystery on for size, in addition to a long-running role on HBO’s Big Love. The role of an icon is one that could allow Seyfried to prove her acting chops beyond the young-adult fare she’s already conquered.
Um, no. Amanda is blonde and beautiful, but that's where the similarities end.
Blake Lively
As the star of Gossip Girl, Blake Lively commands the attention of Serena van der Woodsen’s Upper East Side comrades. Her megawatt smile and sugar-sweet demeanor could fit nicely in the role of newly-minted royalty as the upcoming film's script explores Kelly’s transition from American actress to Princess of Monaco.
Let's forget for a moment that the casting call isn't for Grace Kelly's horse. Blake Lively doesn't have the correct height, body type, elegance, or facial structure to pull off Grace Kelly. (Not to mention the voice). Grace was 5'6" or 5'7" (depending on who you ask) and was famously asked by Hitchcock to pad the bust of her nightgown during filming for a scene in Dial M For Murder. (She rejected the notion, of course). It is clear to anyone who has seen a picture of Lively on the red carpet, that Boobs Blake has the opposite problem. (Put those things away!)
Oh yeah, and she sucks at acting.
Carey Mulligan
An Oscar nominee for her first major role in An Education, Mulligan will next appear in NC-17 festival favorite Shame and as Daisy Buchanan in Baz Lurhmann's update of The Great Gatsby. A biopic seems like the only thing missing from the 26-year-old's resume.
Carey Mulligan has proven to be a fine actress, but she just doesn't have the glamour or ethereal beauty that Grace Kelly possessed. And to be honest, she's too smirky.
Cate Blanchett
Blanchett is no stranger to playing royals: She portrayed Queen Elizabeth I in two films, earning an two Oscar nominations -- and one win -- for her work. And while the actress is 42, she's proven she can play younger thanks to the CGI magic employed in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Everyone knows Cate Blanchett is a flawless goddess, so she has that part down. Everyone knows that Cate is also a chameleon - which may be part of the problem. Cate has already portrayed great royalty (Queen Elizabeth I) and a great Old Hollywood dame (Katharine Hepburn). She has the grace, but the fit still wouldn't be quite right.
Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron, who plays Quinn on Fox's Glee, has surprised fans by amping up the glam on various red carpets this year. While her physical appearance could fit Kelly to a T, Agron’s presence on the big screen has been minimal thus far. The 25-year-old previously held roles in the mostly panned Burlesque and I Am Number Four, but her potential could be tapped in a more high profile project.
First of all... who? Secondly, who?? There is no way this girl has the presence to carry a film about one of the most iconic fashion and film stars in Hollywood.
Evan Rachel Wood
In addition to playing a seductress in The Ides of March and an insane vampire in HBO’s True Blood, Evan Rachel Wood recently starred as a selfish young woman pursuing an acting career in the 1930s for the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce. With her delicate features and wide range, the 24-year-old actress could surely embody Kelly’s grace, charisma and determination with ease.
This is kind of odd. I'm not sure how to feel about it. My first inclination is no, but I'll get back to you.
Gwyneth Paltrow
At age 39, the Oscar-winning actress would be more apt to portray Kelly in her post-acting career, after she left Hollywood and had three children with husband Prince Rainier. But the actress can easily identify with the international aspects of Kelly's life: Paltrow is married to British singer Chris Martin, and the couple owns a home in London.
Grace Kelly and Goop just do not go together in the same sentence. Neither do Grace Kelly and Gwyneth Paltrow. I think Gwyneth *wishes* she were Grace Kelly. As ONTD can attest, Gwyneth is one of the world's most unrelatable celebrities. She lacks the charm and warmth that the late Princess of Monaco was known for. Grace may have been a Princess, but she was a rather unpretentious one. She loved hamburgers and beer as much as the average girl (whatever would Gwynnie say?!). Next.
Jaime King
The model turned actress has done mid-20th century before: Her first role in a major studio production was in the WWII epic Pearl Harbor (2001). She could also help pull in a younger crowd because of her current role on the CW's freshman series Hart of Dixie, opposite Rachel Bilson.
Freshman. Series. Hart of Dixie. Rachel Bilson. Grace Kelly.
One of these things is not like the other...
January Jones
If anyone in Hollywood has the looks to play Kelly, it's Mad Men's January Jones. While her red carpet style is more unconventional than the Rear Window actress, Jones knows period dramas.
Sure. Everyone thinks January Jones would be an obvious choice to play the role because she already plays Betty Draper, a character whose style and look is partially inspired by Kelly. Been there, done that. Plus, January knows these are big shoes to fill and already dismissed the possibility of starring as the late great Grace.
Kate Bosworth
Bosworth's maintained a relatively high profile since the 2002 surfer flick Blue Crush, but she has yet to land a truly breakout role. She's 28 now, which makes her almost the perfect age to straddle Kelly's life before and after the 1956 wedding that marked her transition from actress to princess.
What's the last thing Kate Bosworth has even done, besides Alexander Sarsgard? Bobbleheaded hipsters need not apply.
Mia Wasikowska
The Australian actress first turned heads with her work in HBO's In Treatment and achieved worldwide recognition last year with her starring role in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. The actress, who also starred in Jane Eyre, next appears opposite Glenn Close in the period drama Albert Nobbs.
I don't really know what to say about this except I don't think it would work. Wasikowska is a fabulous up-and-comer with great talent, but I don't think she has the charisma to pull it off. At least, not yet.
Michelle Williams
Despite becoming synonymous with versatilely and highly selective roles, there seems to be only one thing that could keep Williams from stepping into Kelly's iconic shoes: She'll be forever associated with Marilyn Monroe after the release of the biopic My Week With Marilyn.
This may have worked if Michelle hadn't already just finished up another biopic on another famous Old Hollywood actress. I don't need to tell you who.
Rachel McAdams
Following a similar path as Mean Girls co-star Amanda Seyfriend, Rachel McAdams has performed in her share of romantic comedies and thrillers. Buoyed by buzz around her role in Terrence Malick's upcoming untitled project, playing a classic starlet might be her next move.
Okay, I know people love Rachel McAdams. But look at her face. Do you see Grace Kelly anywhere in there? Her features are too angular and harsh for Grace's round-faced patrician beauty.
Rooney Mara
David Fincher's it girl has become one of the most talked about young actresses since she was tapped to play Lisbeth Salander in his English-language take on Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. And after playing the mohawk-sporting, inked up heroine, any role will be a departure for Mara.
Mark Zuckerberg's girlfriend is not Grace Kelly. Lisbeth Salander, bad-ass that she is, is not Grace Kelly either. Next.
Rosamund Pike
The British actress has taken on everything from Jane Austen (Pride & Prejudice) to Bond (Die Another Day) to genetically enhanced killing machines on Mars (Doom). Next up? The Greek gods of Clash of the Titans 2.
You have my blessing. If the casting directors are smart, they will give this one a chance. She's poised and gorgeous, and she has a charming smile reminiscent of Grace's.
Saoirse Ronan
The Irish actress proved she can take on mid-century epics with her breakout role in Atonement (2007). Since then, she's demonstrated her range by playing such roles as a dead girl in 2009's The Lovely Bones (2009) and a teen assassin in the action-thriller Hanna (2011).
Saoirse Ronan is an incredible young actress with amazing potential. She is also 17 years old, which is definitely too young to play the 33-year-old mother of two.
Scarlett Johansson
Blonde and beautiful, Scarlett Johannson dares audiences not to be seduced by her presence, much like Kelly herself. The actress last starred in Iron Man 2, and will next be seen in 20th Century Fox’s We Bought a Zoo and Marvel’s The Avengers.
Scarlett is beautiful and charismatic, but she has too much of an raw, voluptuous sensuality to slip into the role of Grace Kelly as Princess of Monaco.
Candice Accola
Teen television has proven to be a generous source of box office stars in the past. This supporting player from The Vampire Diaries has emerged as one of the most likely to succeed when she graduates from her CW show.
I don't even know who this is except that the excerpt above says she's on a CW show. A CW show.
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy
France's stylish first lady practically is royalty already and she has a film resume to boot. The model-singer took part in Woody Allen's hit Midnight in Paris and had a song featured in (500) Days of Summer. Her current role is mother to newborn girl, Giulia.
What? Grace Kelly casting, meet left field.
Emily VanCamp
VanCamp is currently proving she's quite deft at playing a cruel and slightly unhinged leading lady on ABC's soapy freshman drama Revenge -- but prior to that she was the girl next door on Brothers & Sisters and Everwood. She's capable of tackling the kind of transformation playing Kelly will require.
Nah. I don't care much for this girl's Cabbage Patch face.
Diane Kruger
She's already got the style of Grace Kelly down, played heavyweight historical figure Helen of Troy in Troy, and takes on Marie Antoinette in the French film, Farewell My Queen. With a resume like that, Kruger would have no trouble slipping into Kelly's shoes.
I can see it. Diane has the same cool blonde look that Hitchcock loved in his leading ladies. She's a fashion icon in her own right, as well as a former model (like Grace Kelly). She has the same height, body type, and demeanor. If we could just get her to smile a little more, we might be on the right track.
Jessica Stroup
Though you might have to giver her a blonde dye-job first, the 90210 star does bear strong a resemblance to a young Grace Kelly.
In what alternate universe does this picture "bear a strong resemblance to a young Grace Kelly"? Let's see, shall we?
Oh, my mistake. They are identical.
I also like how they say you "might" have to give her a blonde dye job. Really? Wherever did they get that genius idea?
Jessica Chastain
Quickly establishing herself in Hollywood in films like The Tree of Life, The Help and Take Shelter, Chastain is the go-to gal for roles that require strength, beauty and acting chops.
I believe that Jessica Chastain could pull this off. She is still relatively unknown and therefore we don't have many predispositions or typecasts of her. She's beautiful, talented, and poised. It's possible.
Amber Heard
If there was any takeaway from NBC's short-lived Playboy Club, it's that star Amber Heard seems right at home playing a role in the 1950s and 60s. She's January Jones with fewer miles on her.
Amber Heard is ridiculously hot and she does look amazing in costumes from different periods. Not sure about her acting chops. Jury's still out on this one.
Jennifer Lawrence
Grace Kelly seems like a natural next step for Lawrence, who's currently tied to the multi-picture franchise, Hunger Games. Getting the role of Katniss Everdeen just weeks after an Oscar nomination at only 21 years old, is just the kind of whirlwind of success and glamor that highlighted Kelly's life.
Answer: no. Reason: this picture. That's enough, Katniss.
Elizabeth Olsen
On the strength of one breakout role in Sundance entry Martha Marcy May Marlene, this Olsen sister is on every casting director's list of hot talent. She next appears in the horror movie Silent House.
Too young. Too Olsen-y.
Cody Horn
With her stint on Rescue Me ending with the series finale in 2011 and a part in Steven Soderbergh's upcoming male stripper film Magic Mike, Horn has the right combination of resume and open schedule to be an effective dark horse in the race to land the Kelly role.
This chick would be great if we were casting a biopic of Hilary Swank. Please stop trolling.
Charlize Theron
The Oscar winner already has the kind of glamour playing a role like Grace Kelly will demand. And, at 36, she's still young enough to play the icon in her Hitchcock days.
If they must. I'm cool with it.
In Summary
Grace Kelly was in a league all her own. I find her to be unparalleled in the combination of qualities that made her into the icon she still is today. No one will be able to do her justice.
Although since it seems like they are really going through with this, I could tolerate Rosamund Pike, Charlize Theron, and Diane Kruger. Or a really amazing unknown.
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