8 Of The Best Cast Biopic Movies Ever (These Roles Were Personified To Perfection!)

» By Tunisia Z. Wilson @blondetothet April 24, 2012, 15:30pm

There is a lot of debate surrounding who would be best to play the late, great Whitney Houston in her biopic, It’s one thing to lead a life that’s worth making a movie about, but playing that leading lady or man takes true talent in itself. In the best reenacted performances, actors and actresses personify historic entertainment icons so perfectly that we get lost in their role each time we see these movies. The following Hollywood stars took their biopic roles to another level and will always be highly regarded for these movies for the rest of their careers.

Check out eight of the best casted and played biopic movies.

Jennifer Lopez as Selena Quintanilla-Pérez in Selena

When Jennifer Lopez played Selena, many doors opened for her. And it’s no wonder because Jenny brought Selena back from the dead in this one.

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Social Butterfly

JLo did a phenomenal job!! I’m not sure if Monica Brown can act but I think she resembles Whitney & has the vocal ability to take it there.
Kngbrz

yes JLO slayed that role!
Girl

Angela Bassett in the Rosa Parks story.
http://www.facebook.com/irene.flores9 Irene Flores

Jennifer did an amazing job but don’t agree that she ‘brought’ back Selena from the dead. She just continued her legacy for other younger and new fans.
Gpsintl

Umm..how is “La Bamba” not on the list??? The story of Richie Valens. That movie is exceptional!!
NICK O’PLEECE

Tammy Blanchard and Judy Davis did one of the most masterful impersonations of Judy Garland I’ve ever seen brought to cinema. They should be credited.
- SirLizard
  
  I’ll second this one! You are so right! But here in the U.S. it was a TV movie, not shown in cinemas. Was “Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows” ever actually shown in theaters in other countries?
  - http://www.facebook.com/jeremy.giles.90 Jeremy Giles
    
    Introducing Dorothy Dandridge was also a tv movie, SirLizard, and it was listed. I believe Life With Judy Garland should qualify.
Amija James

Jaime Foxx KILT it as Ray Charles!
King35

I liked Mario Van Peebles as Malcolm X.
Spoilme2much730

Where is Lynn Whitfield playing Josephine Baker and Lorenz Tate as Frankie Lyman
Spoilme2much730

Also Faye Dunaway as Mommy Dearest
- Denise
  
  Agreed! No wired hangers!!!!
http://twitter.com/Celtic4Life11 DJ Chalk

ving rhames as don king has to be in the top 8, take out halle
Courtneyhilton52

alicia looks just like lena horne!!! never noticed it until just now
- AutumnRobinson1024
  
  No she doesn’t Lena would be highly insulted and every fair skinned person don’t look alike.
  - Lola
    
    Lena would not be insulted, she actually recommended AK for the role after the part was taken away from Janet Jackson. No, all fair skinned people do not look alike, but Alicia Keys does resemble Lena Horne.
    - SirLizard
      
      Just because someone is doing the same pose as someone else in a photograph does not mean they look alike. Honestly, Alicia Keys and Lena Horne don’t really look much alike at all.
      - Erin M
        
        Dude, their noses, eyes and jawlines are exactly the same.
customcalendars4u2

This is random,but just wondering why did they put her mole on the opposite side of Marilyns? Denzel played Malcolm X well also. They should consider a no name actress for Whitney Houston’s Biography,I think Latoya Luckett from Destiny’s Child looks a lot like Whitney and maybe with the right training she could pull it off.
Shlyfields

lindsey lohan is not as beautiful as liz taylor, maybe they should have picked megan fox. would love to see alicia keys portray lena horne
EBONY

Walk the line with Joquan Phoenix and Reece Witherspoon and Coal Minors Daughter with Sissy Spasik was also good.. and Yes loved Angela and Lawrence Fishboure and J-lo.
IndianBlackMix

How dare they cast Lindsay Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor. Such a terrible injustice.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002118369491 Traceyann ImaSurvivor Lumsden

LMSAO…@ Angela Basset being afraid when IKE TURNER came on SET..thats hilarious
LiiSH

Halle was horrible in Introducing Dorthy Dandrige. She definitely looked the part,but after reading the autobiography and researching her acting didn’t hold up. Lindsay and Alicia haven’t done their respective movies so they shouldn’t be on the list yet. However Lynn Whitfield should be for her portrayal of Josephine Baker. Oh and Barbra Striseind for her portrayal of fannie Bryce in Funny Girl.
MESHA_BANKS

HOLD UP WHERE IS JOSEPHINE BAKER
AutumnRobinson1024

I like all of the other biograpic movies except the ones with Lindsey Lohan and Aliciua Keys they wont play Lena Horne and Elizabeth Taylor.
AutumnRobinson1024

I
like all of the other biograpic movies except the ones with Lindsey
Lohan and Alicia Keys they wont play Lena Horne and Elizabeth Taylor.

Like Reply
AutumnRobinson1024

Leon Robinson in The Little Richard Story
Wandablount93

The temptations movie. Leon as David.
- Mobsterjunkie
  
  OKAY!!! And throw the 5 Heartbeats in there too!
- http://twitter.com/pajamagirl Ijeoma
  
  And Leon as Little Richard!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=833633259 Schezelle J Ward

i’ll never forget Halle Berry as Dorothy Dandridge!! She was phenomenal!
Theo

I’m not trying to hate. I promise. If it wasn’t for J. Lo. I might not have known about the talented Selena. But the first thing I thought when I saw her pic up top, was “All she did was act like herself and sing songs she doesn’t normally sing”. She didn’t change her voice, or imitate to the T the character like Will Smith and Jamie Foxx. Anyhoo, back to trollin’!
Torrence5

Most of the picks were truely memorable & outstanding (with Oscar wins or nominations) but J-lo & Lohan are not in the same category of quality. How about Oscar WINNERS: George C. Scott as Patton, Sissay Spasik as Loretta Lynn (Coal Minor’s Daughter) or Meryl Streep as Margret Thatcher (Iron Lady) and other Oscar Nominated performance (you missed) like Jessica Lang as Patsy Cline (Sweet Dreams) or Meryl Streep as Julia Childs (Julia/Julie). Your picks were certainly lacking some stellar performances.
- SirLizard
  
  Yikes!!! It’s “truly”, not “truely”; “Sissy”, not “Sissay”; “Spacek”, not “Spasik”; “Miner’s”, not “Minor’s”; “Margaret”, not
  “Margret”; “Lange”, not “Lang”; “Child”, not “Childs”; “Julie & Julia”, not “Julia/Julie”.
Andy

Where’s Gary Busey from ‘The Buddy Holly Story’? Or Joaquin Phoenix from ‘Walk The Line’? Lindsay Lohan? Busey’s and Phoenix’s performances were enthralling, captivating and both were nominated for Oscars!!
Idol-Maker

Not true…Fishburne could’ve KILLED as Malcolm. Had him & Spike not had beef, I’m certain that role would’ve been his…
jclark

What about Gary Busey in the Buddy Holly Story?
trxr

With all the great movies that weren’t mentioned, why does this list include ones that aren’t even out yet???
Sady

This list was so good, until Lindsay Lohan was included. You can’t say she did a good job until the movie comes out.
Tim

Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison in The Doors should have been on this list.
jared hasbrouck

val kilmer as jim morrison in ‘the doors.’ if you know anything about the doors, kilmer’s portrayal is haunting: looks, singing voice, mannerisms, even his stage presence
Attar

Egyptian actor Ahmed Zaki brought presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser (movie: Nasser 56) and Anwar El Sadat (movie: Ayyam El Sadat), as well as singer Abdel Halim Hafez, all back to life. Google it !
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Keith-Finnegan/100001149559699 Keith Finnegan
  
  we heard you (and ignored you) the first time.
Attar

Egyptian actor Ahmed Zaki did a better job than most of these actors. Brought 3 iconic characters back to life:
President Gamal Abdel Nasser (movie: Nasser 56)
President Anwar El Sadat (movie: Ayyam El Sadat)
Singer Abdel Halim Hafez (movie: Halim)

GOOGLE him.
Thomas

Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison from the movie The Doors, and Robert Downey Jr as Charlie Chaplin in the movie Chaplin should have been on this list!
http://twitter.com/wdfichtel W. Daniel Fichtel

Kevin Spacey’s portrayal of Bobby Darin in “Beyond The Sea” should have been mentioned.
Phoenix

This list could clearly be longer. One film I haven’t seen mentioned yet is Frida; Salma Hayek looked the part and played the hell out of the role.
Katie

Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf?
anchorite

Definitely Denzel in Malcolm X. Also Steve Carrey as Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon, and Chris Diamantopolous as Robin Williams in the made for TV biopic.
Veronica

Yes, Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf!!! Also, they could make a list of “worst…”, starring Love Hewitt as Audrey Hepburn. She can’t act. Period.
major

this left out three! robert downey jr. as charlie chaplin. he was superb and nailed the personality. val kilmer as jim morrison. little known that kilmer did half the singing in that and there were times you could not tell which was which. and finally, george c. scott as patton. another movie where the actor fully captured the man and lost himself in it.
Sof

Oh come on. You put in two movies that didn’t even exist (one of them with Lindsay Lohan, no less) and leave out the likes of Madonna/Evita, Joaquin Phoenix/Johhny Cash, Penelope Cruz/Frida Khalo?
- Tann
  
  it is Salma Hayek as Frida
- Tann
  
  Salma Hayek/ Frida Khalo you mean..
http://www.facebook.com/people/Alexander-Nicholas-Calvo/768233781 Alexander Nicholas Calvo

No John C. Reilly as Dewey Cox? He was flawless! Google both their names, they are identical.
Kissy

Those two spaces on your list where Lindsey Lohan and Alicia Keys are could have been filled with Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford, or Robert Downey Jr. as Charlie Chaplin, or Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman, or Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison, or Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash.
- http://www.facebook.com/ashley.n.coleman Ashley Natasha Coleman
  
  amen
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Melissa-Hamari/100000076759308 Melissa Hamari
  
  100% agree
- Denise
  
  Agreed! What about Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan? She was perfection!
- Serai 1
  
  Yeah, but those are ACTORS. Lindsay Lohan and Alicia Keys are what you get nowadays – crazy addicts who say lines. That’s what gets all the attention these days.
http://www.facebook.com/A.BlairHamilton Blair Hamilton

I’m sorry, but michelle williams, yeah she played marilyn monroe ALRIGHT but, nobody, NOBODY tops Marilyn Monroe herself. nobody. ever.
http://www.facebook.com/A.BlairHamilton Blair Hamilton

oh yeah, and LINDSAY LOHAN is not in any world comparable to Elizabeth taylor. no way. they don’t even look alike.
Fred Brocaa

I’ll say it again.. Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison in ‘The Doors’ should have been on this list. When you see Val singing as Jim, that’s VAL ACTUALLY SINGING! Not a voice over, that’s Kilmer’s spot-on imitation of Morrison.
And Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash was dead on as well..
overkongen

Not mentioning Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash, and Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison is an insult!
overkongen

Oh, I see now that these are primarily African-American biopics… Still; Phoenix as Cash, and Kilmer as Morisson. Cotillard as Piaf as well.
Stefanie

Wow, I thought for sure Selma Hayek would have been on this list. Her interpretation of Frida Kahlo was amazing.
bob

no suprise this article is written by a colored woman.
boutsa

You cant be serious i dont think this person has the looks or talent to play a toilet brush huge let down for liz im sure i’d rather see marlon brando play the part
Jason

What about The Last King of Scotland? Or Jared Leto when he portrayed John Lennon’s serial killer?
http://www.facebook.com/lshannon3 Laurie Shannon

Aside from your unbearable ads (really, reloading for every pic in the slideshow?), I’m not sure how much you were paid to throw LL on this list but you left off some amazing performances to bump her up. Val Kilmer, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jessica Lange.. I could keep going..
http://www.facebook.com/shaylarae.hansen Shayla-Rae L. Hansen

For the love of God, get an editor. >_<
Tom Roberts

I can’t say I agree with 66% of this list, while it left out a ton of great people. I think the author is black, so instead of picking people who did the best jobs in their roles, they mostly thought about the movies that they feel like they can relate to (black actors) even if they didn’t do such a good job. It’s like how black people will go see the movie Soul Plane even though there are better movies out there, but choices are limited as far as race is concerned.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Melissa-Hamari/100000076759308 Melissa Hamari

There was one problem with Jennifer Lopez, she was prettier than Selina, but she did such an amazing job.
http://www.facebook.com/ikabod.cranium Ikabod Cranium

Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison… How can he not be up there?
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=594720740 Wanda Lee

lame list, you left out all the really good ones
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=698977426 Kyle Maxwell

This list is the personification of Stupid.
zzedd

Geoffrey Rush as Peter Sellers…
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1141725469 Ashley Kuhn

Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash was perfect.
Serai 1

“was blessed from Ray himself which attributed to the overall success”

What is that even supposed to MEAN?
http://www.facebook.com/radek.piskorski Radek Piskorski

Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin!