20 actors fans want to play other famous people in biopics

If there’s any pop star in the world right now who deserves a biopic, it’s Britney Spears. Fans have called on Millie Bobby Brown to do the job. Brown has expressed her interest in the role, but unfortunately, Spears wasn’t quite so into the idea. 

A Prince biopic is in the works, but there has been no word as to who will portray the late icon. If fans had it their way, Jordan Fisher would play the role. Fisher is a triple threat, so he might be a great choice. 

Cher’s story has been brought to the stage, but if it were ever to be brought to the big screen, fans want Hailee Steinfeld to be considered for the role. Steinfeld certainly has the vocal talents to do the job, and her acting performances have also proved she’s up for the task.

Before his tragic death in 2023, Matthew Perry shared that he wanted Zac Efron to play him in a biopic. Efron has said he’d be honored to take on the role, and fans agree. Efron is only getting better and better in his craft, so perhaps playing the role of someone he worked with is a challenge he’s ready to tackle. 

Playing Beyoncé in a biopic would be a major responsibility, but Halle Bailey would be a prime candidate. Fans want her to play the role if it ever were to materialize, and we’re all but certain Beyoncé would give Bailey her blessing.

Lady Gaga would not be an easy role to play, but Sydney Sweeney is a talented actor, and fans seem to think she bears a passing resemblance. If the biopic were to happen sooner than later, we can imagine Gaga would be happy to coach Sweeney on how to approach playing her. 

Sidney Poitier was an exceptional actor, and it would take someone equally as exceptional to play him. Fans are of the opinion that Donald Glover is that someone to play the role. Glover is confident in his talents, so maybe he’s of the opinion that he should play Poitier, too. 

Ana de Armas has taken on one legendary figure already, so why not take on another? After her Oscar-nominated work as Marilyn Monroe in Blonde, fans are more convinced than ever that de Armas is the right actor to portray Sophia Loren in a biopic, and we have to admit we’re in agreement. 

Jim Carrey is known for taking on roles that seemingly no other actor would be able to play. It would take a special actor to capture that same spirit by playing Carrey, and fans think John Mulaney is that actor. They do have a similar demeanor, and they’ve both got very expressive faces. It might be the perfect casting. 

We figure it’s only a matter of time before Dolly Parton gets her own biopic. The woman is a living legend. When the time comes, a group of fans believe Miley Cyrus should be the one to portray her godmother. Cyrus would undoubtedly put on a stunning vocal performance in the role. 

Dolly Parton has another actor in mind to play her in a biopic: Reese Witherspoon. The two go way back, and they’ve had a conversation about the potential of Witherspoon taking on the role. While some do want Miley Cyrus, others agree with Parton that the part should go to Witherspoon. 

Eddie Murphy is such a unique talent that it can seem like no actor would be able to do him justice in a biopic, but fans have chameleon comedian Jay Pharoah pegged as the perfect man for the job. The two SNL alum already have a lot in common, and Pharoah has proved time and again that he can impersonate Murphy better than anyone. 

Hilary Clinton is so famous that she’s been asked by legitimate publications who she’d want to play her in a biopic. The politician said Meryl Streep, and throngs of fans took Clinton’s side. Don’t we all want Streep to play us in a biopic? 

Willa Ford once played Anna Nicole Smith in a biopic, but the film was poorly received. If Smith’s life were to be retold, fans think Brooklyn Decker would be the right choice to play the late blonde bombshell. Whether Decker is right for the part, we do agree Smith’s biopic needs to be redone.

If biopic casting were based solely on looks, this fan casting is 100 percent correct. Lili Reinhart as Brittany Murphy. Reinhart could totally pass for Murphy, and while not every late star’s story needs to be turned into a biopic, this is one we’d be all for. 

Playing Rihanna would not be easy. The singer has a bold attitude and a distinct demeanor that only those completely confident in themselves can embody. According to fans, if anyone were to do the icon justice, it’d be Zendaya, an actor and singer who’s equally iconic. 

Multiple actors have played Frank Sinatra, but a true biopic has yet to be made. The Sinatra family even turned down Martin Scorsese’s offer to direct it. But if it ever does come to be, fans want Harry Connick Jr. to play the legend. 

Being a relevant celebrity isn’t a good enough reason for a person’s life to be told through a biopic, and neither is being a child star. But being a child star who stayed a relevant celebrity is, and therefore, Drew Barrymore should get a biopic. If she does, she and fans agree that Joey King should be cast.

Grace Kelly biopics haven’t been well-received, but that needs to change. The star lived an objectively interesting life, and if her story were to be retold and released in theaters in the United States instead of Lifetime, fans have appointed Michelle Williams to play the royal role.  

Like others on this list, David Bowie already has a biopic. The late star’s life was told via Stardust, but almost no one liked it, and Bowie is too iconic to have a crappy biopic. If someone new tries again, fans want Cillian Murphy to play the role.