1. Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash – Walk the Line
It’s hard enough trying to portray real people – let alone one of the coolest people to ever live! However, Joaquin Phoenix managed to do a fantastic job in the film Walk the Line. For those who missed the film, the actor portrayed Johnny Cash, one of the most famous country singers of all time, alongside Reese Witherspoon, who played Cash’s wife, June Carter Cash.
Based on Cash’s autobiography, Man in Black and Cash: The Autobiography, Walk the Line made over $187 million at the box office. Just like his book, the movie did not shy away from the truth, accurately portraying Cash’s struggles with drug addiction and alcoholism.
2. Colin Firth as King George VI – The King’s Speech
The King’s Speech is a heartwarming drama based on the true story of King George VI’s accession to the throne. In the movie, acclaimed actor Colin Firth perfectly plays George’s struggle to overcome a severe stammer. Written by Hollywood legend David Seidler critics adored Firth’s performance, and Frith went onto win the Best Actor Oscar for the role. However, how accurate was King’s Speech?
According to historians, the movie is pretty spot on! In fact, the history and statistics blog Information Is Beautiful investigated just how much the movie got right and wrong. In the end, they argued that, taking creative license into account, the film was nearly 75% true to real-life events, summarizing: “Some nips and tucks of the historical record, but mostly an accurate retelling of a unique story.”
