Actor Draft - Kyle
I found a picture online with the headline, “Who Would You Bring Back for 1 Final Movie?” followed by pictures of great actors who, unfortunately, are no longer with us. I found this picture extremely interesting and wanted to put the Going Off Topic spin on it. I came up with the idea of having a “draft” with four friends, each of them writing a blog on it, and then having each of them on the podcast for a more in-depth discussion. The following is my blog and make sure to check out the other blogs and podcasts on this topic!
Power Ranking
Robin Williams
John Belushi
Paul Walker
Chris Farley
Alan Rickman
James Dean
Bruce Lee
Marilyn Monroe
Heath Ledger
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Michael Clarke Duncan
Audrey Hepburn
Patrick Swayze
Bernie Mac
Brittany Murphy
Draft Analysis: I ended up with the last pick of the draft but I still really enjoy my group, I drafted John Belushi, James Dean, and Bernie Mac. Going into the draft I really did not have a strategy, I just took what I believed were the best options on the table. I had Belushi high on my draft board and loved the fact that I was able to get him; unfortunately Dean had a short career but he had a major impact on film history, and Bernie was one of the funniest guys when he had it going.
John Belushi:
One of the funniest people to ever walk this Earth sadly he only has 13 acting credits according to IMDB. But some of the 13 are classics that will never be forgotten, movies like Animal House and The Blues Brothers. He is also one of the best SNL actors ever, with skits like Samurai Futaba, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Captain James T. Kirk, and as the owner of Olympia Cafe. Animal House and The Blues Brothers are two of my favorite all time movies and I could watch them every day and still laugh hysterically. Unlike some of the other actors on this list Belushi passed before I was alive so word of his passing didn’t affect me at the time. Everyone loves Belushi but I can’t imagine how his career would have turned out had he lived. There are a lot of great SNL actors and comedians but Belushi was truly one of a kind.
James Dean:
Dean has a similar career to Belushi, according to IMDB he has 30 acting credits but he has three major movie roles: East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, and Giant. All three of these films are blockbusters and Dean was great in all of them; Rebel is easily one of my favorite movies. He was a monster star (possibly the first movie star) and who knows where his career was going after those three movies. I don’t think we can truly fathom how big of a star he was going to be, I don’t think there is another person that has been as big as Dean was and would have been. The guy was in three films and was already being talked about as the biggest star of all time. He was incredibly handsome and just had this way about him that I don’t think we can truly understand today. Unfortunately, we never got the opportunity to see just how great he could be.
Bernie Mac:
Honestly, I don’t know a ton of Bernie’s work, but the things I have seen are pretty hilarious. I have seen a few episodes of the Bernie Mac show and that is a show I may go back and watch all the way through. Friday, the Ocean’s series, Bad Santa, and Mr. 3000 are the four films I have seen Bernie in and he was hilarious in every one. He had a much longer life then both Belushi and Dean but still only has 38 credits on IMDB. He had a great stand up career and after writing this piece I am making it a goal of mine to see more Bernie stand up and more Bernie in general.
Movie Pitch:
My movie starring John Belushi, James Dean, and Bernie Mac has to be a comedy. My movie is going to center on 2 dueling used car lots that are right across the street from each other; one owned by John Belushi and one owned by Bernie Mac. James Dean is a gorgeous guy just looking for a new vehicle to get him to his job as a high school chemistry teacher. Dean finds himself at the lot owned by Belushi first and then wanders over to Mac’s lot to compare vehicles and prices. Hilarity ensues as Belushi and Mac try to outdo each other and poor James Dean gets yanked around from lot to lot. Guaranteed to be a hit in theaters and showing on TNT/TBS for years to come.