The All-ER lineup: Clooney and Wyle look to (re)-tackle Steve Jobs film role

No cited sources for this tidbit -- not even the usual "a person close to the production" -- but the UK's Now magazine sparked a rumor wildfire this week when it suggested that two veterans of NBC's ER are both interested in playing Steve Jobs for the upcoming film version of Walter Isaacson's biography. George Clooney and Noah Wyle (50 and 40 years old, respectively) are the two leading men in question; if you guessed Anthony Edwards and Goran Visnjic, sorry.

The younger Wyle has two advantages in this horse race; for one, he's played Jobs before in the TV movie Pirates of Silicon Valley. For another, he's younger -- if the producers hope to have a single actor portray the Apple co-founder from his Reed College & Cupertino garage days all the way forward through his life, they'll either need an actor in the middle of that range or some serious help from the CGI wizards at Pixar.

If I were the one casting this film, I'd forgo the high-wattage but aging Clooney and the been-there-done-that Wyle for something different. Maybe a performer with a legitimate claim to Jobs's Middle Eastern heritage (Alexander Siddig?) or a credible indie favorite with an edge (Sam Rockwell). Of course, if we want the perfect combination of Steve-esque looks and fan favorite, there's always Justin Long.

Fortune's Apple 2.0 blog has a poll running which shows a dramatic (5 to 1) preference for Wyle over Clooney.

[hat tip to CNET]

View Tags

Source: http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/celebrity-news/532274/george-cl…

Categories

Apple

No cited sources for this tidbit -- not even the usual "a person close to the production" -- but the UK's Now magazine sparked a rumor...

Add a Comment

Sign in »

11 Comments

Filter by:

Joe

On the basis of having read the book and seen Pirates of Silicon Valley, I think Wyle did an excellent job first time round and should have another shot. That is, if this is anything more than a rumour.

November 21 2011 at 2:38 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Mark Settle

Christian Bale.

He's such a method actor that he'd probably get himself the CEO's job at Apple and run the company for a few years in the guise of Steve before filming.

November 21 2011 at 3:09 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Steve L

If you're looking for someone with the Middle Eastern look, and in the right age rage for jobs, why not Jim Caviezel? In addition to those two criteria, he's already played the Savior of the world . . .

November 21 2011 at 2:30 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

kevhtx

I think Joseph Gordon Levitt should get the part. Great actor and can play him young/old.

November 20 2011 at 6:44 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Anthony LaPenta

Anthony Edwards would be a better choice

November 20 2011 at 5:45 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

John Ross

Why not just get the Fake Steve Jobs to Play Steve Jobs?

November 20 2011 at 5:37 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Core

Ryan Gosling would be a perfect fit. He has the right age to play different age stages and charisma to embody the various sides of Jobs' personality.

November 20 2011 at 5:28 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

robogobo

Noah Wyle would be a good choice because we already see him as a Jobs character, but he isn't such a great actor.

November 20 2011 at 3:30 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply

Howie Isaacks

Clooney blows! He has to be about the worst actor out there. Noah Wylie played the part before, and he did great. So great that Steve Jobs invited him to impersonate him at MacWorld one year.

November 20 2011 at 2:12 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply