DEFINITELY Charlie Mount, who played a character based on Ray in the stage play version of "Banshee." No contest, had Ray's looks and mannerisms down perfectly. Also, the fact that he's a screen unknown would be a big plus: people would "buy" him as really being Ray, rather than Leonardo DiCaprio (well!) or some other Hollywood hunk simply dressing up for another role, and, he is already in the L. A. area, so perfection.
Posts: 2694 | Location: Dayton, Washington, USA | Registered: 03 December 2001
That picture is from the play to which I referred above, so it's current as of June anyhow. "Banshee" was one of three acts in "The October Country." Yes, there are actors outside of the L. A. area. I could have named someone from New York, or, what the heck, even from my own area.
Posts: 2694 | Location: Dayton, Washington, USA | Registered: 03 December 2001
What about Steve Martin? Stunning white hair, prankster, smart, funny, creative, and a writer himself. He was master of ceremonies a couple of years ago when Ray got his big book award. I was impressed with Martin then and, of course, Ray's acceptance speech.
At best... ...the best actor to portray Ray is probably not born yet.
Look! It's going to take another 30 years plus before recognition of Ray Bradbury reaches the very broad audience called mainstream. Regardless of his influence, he arguably reaches nowadays a rather small circle of readers who are aware of who he is and what he has done.
Per a FIlm about His Life: Get your eyes off the economics at the income window, and think in terms of less than wealth-producing 'poetic' film-making. Present Ray so as to know him from the earliest years, with the light from those of marvelous talent who take the undertaking of great and honest film writing as a sure need to 'live', as Ray himself takes writing as a required action in order to live just one more day.
I think you can produce great human interest and excitement from the life of a corner Baker, or the neighborhood Roofer, as well. For the depths of human interest is unfathomable given the proper insight and magic of wonderful story telling art. But in perhaps more pertinent terms for the moment, the great love and rhapsodies of living that Ray insists upon and demonstrates in his craft, would be truly 'fun fare' in film. But THAT film must take Ray from his youngest years to the oldest. So, unless there is a great advance in film making magic in the forseeable, one would have to use a variety of actors to produce the different ages of Mr. Bradbury. Imagine a scene where he steps out into the night air, upon the ocean shore with his wife, and comes to discovers the story of The Foghorn, and insists he go home quickly to write his way into the hearts of minds of future readers. The drama inside his noggin', the passion in his heart, to demonstrate all these things and ten thousands more on film, and capsulate it into 120 minutes at the most, and throw in all the struggles of turning story and poetry into film making and working with less talented and difficult directors and producers, and all the family life, the very intimate personal struggle of being highly creative, yet very human, would spotlight a life in this generation far more exciting than one average Hollywood Joe writer can possibly imagine in a lifetime....
Posts: 2280 | Location: Laguna Woods, California | Registered: 28 June 2002
Originally posted by dandelion: DEFINITELY Charlie Mount, who played a character based on Ray in the stage play version of "Banshee." No contest, had Ray's looks and mannerisms down perfectly. Also, the fact that he's a screen unknown would be a big plus: people would "buy" him as really being Ray, rather than Leonardo DiCaprio (well!) or some other Hollywood hunk simply dressing up for another role, and, he is already in the L. A. area, so perfection.
Well, it's only been a decade or so and, although it's not a film, I am going to play Ray in a stage production this Fall at the Whitefire Theatre in LA. It's called MARTIANS - AN EVENING WITH RAY BRADBURY. https://www.gofundme.com/martians
Originally posted by dandelion: WOW, COOL! And you found the right thread, how very clever! Congratulations on your accomplishments past, present, and future!
And he produced Ray's best play, Falling Upward!
"Live Forever!"
Posts: 6909 | Location: 11 South Saint James Street, Green Town, Illinois | Registered: 02 October 2002
