Choose a role for Rufie

[GreenEyesToo]

I would just love to see him do a bio-pic of Freddie Mercury.

I was never a great fan, although love Queen's music, but every time I see the pic of Rufus from Charles II with his "harem", I just imagine him as Freddie.

Just think - skin-tight clothes, big hair OR cropped, AND he'd get to sing!

Now, how can we persuade him...?

[mcr5137]

I don't usually think of people I want him to play or characters from books that I want him to play...........I usually think of scenarios that I think would be interesting to see him do. Such as Ruf playing a homeless man that falls for a woman he meets in a diner (or wherever) and how he tries to win her and change his life for the better. Or.........a really jerk of a man that has to go online to find a wife and how all that would pan out (I think that would be hysterical if done right). Or maybe Rufus as the single father of a few children, who has always just gone to work and read bedtime stories and now has to do it all. I think that could be drama OR comedy, depending on how it's written.

[ukelelehip]

greeneyestoo said:

I would just love to see him do a bio-pic of Freddie Mercury.

I thought his long RnR wig would lend itself excellently for a Brian May biopic actually! Hee!

[reveuse]

greeneyestoo said:

every time I see the pic of Rufus from Charles II with his "harem", I just imagine him as Freddie.

LOL. Someone asked me the other day when I thought Ruf would play the 'inevitable' gay role.

Absolutely no offence intended to anyone, gay or straight - but it's an interesting prospect. Would he, wouldn't he, would he be good at it, would you want him to?

Can't see Ruf as Freddie tho - unless they dub his voice (shame) and cover up those nice new teeth with some big fakers Hugh Jackman could sing it and camp it up but he bears no resemblance!

[quoll]

Well he has done the cross dressing bit in the Shrew already! I havent seen it but wasnt there a gay angle in Victory?

[GreenEyesToo]

reveuse said:

would he be good at it, would you want him to?

Yes and yes!

Although my comment made it seem I was just going on looks, the Charles II pic I referred to was just what triggered my thoughts on Rufus playing Freddie - he was such a larger than life character, and Ru could and would play him with such depth and humanity that would be fascinating to see.

And, quoll, I think I said on the Victory thread on EMS that I thought his character might have been confused about his sexuality, because although he was lusting after the girl later in the film, when he first appeared I got the impression that there was some latent feeling on his part for Sam Neill's character.

It seems to me (others may disagree) that the main criterion for Rufus when he takes on a role (apart from working in Prague! ;D )is what he can make of the character, how much under their skin he can get - and we all know how well he does that. And that's why I think he'd be great as Freddie.

While I'm here, can anyone remember the name of the book mentioned on EMS, where several people said he'd be perfect as ** - was it Angels and Demons? I'd like to read it - so please remind me who wrote it!

Thanks.

[ukelelehip]

greeneyestoo said:

While I'm here, can anyone remember the name of the book mentioned on EMS, where several people said he'd be perfect as ** - was it Angels and Demons? I'd like to read it - so please remind me who wrote it!

Both Angels & Demons by Dan Brown and The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger were mentioned.

[mcr5137]

[quote author=greeneyestoo board=other thread=1162950706 post=1163031857
Yes and yes!

Although my comment made it seem I was just going on looks, the Charles II pic I referred to was just what triggered my thoughts on Rufus playing Freddie - he was such a larger than life character, and Ru could and would play him with such depth and humanity that would be fascinating to see.

It seems to me (others may disagree) that the main criterion for Rufus when he takes on a role (apart from working in Prague! ;D )is what he can make of the character, how much under their skin he can get - and we all know how well he does that. And that's why I think he'd be great as Freddie.[/quote]

Ok, you've sold me! This would be very interesting to see Rufus play Freddie Mercury! I agree with all the things you just said here, GE2..........I'm not sure anyone else could pull it off, simply because Freddie was such a HUGE presence! Looks aside, Rufus has the talent to do this. Not many other actors have what it would take to do this role.

JMHO,
Michelle

[maxx02]

Okay, I've been thinking about this in a generic sense because I liked that idea from mcr.

I would like to see Rufus bring someone like Jan to film. By that I mean an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances. I love films where we see what so-called regular people are capable of under the right circumstances.

Maybe something about a man caught in the cross-hairs of a war--something big and surprising--where he learns as much about himself as he does about events. Maybe something about one of the genocides in Africa or the ethnic cleansing in Cosovo.

Something where he can really put his empathy and honesty to good use. Something like the war-part of IASL which we only saw the results. I want to really see him rack the emotions and use them all.

[mcr5137]

All great ideas, Maxx! We've been talking about "Victory" on the yahoogroup and I have been thinking of Rufus in the Willem Defoe role. I would probably do the story differently, but a man with a past who befriends a woman in trouble, he wants to help her but is afraid of the risk of being found out. I love the idea of using the war part of the story in IASL too!

I like how you put it "ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances" and I think Rufus does well in that type of role. He has the levels of emotion and has the ability to turn them off when needed, to play just that kind of character. I can see him doing something on the order of "Beyond Borders" too.

Michelle

[maxx02]

mcr5137 said:

I can see him doing something on the order of "Beyond Borders

It's funny but I was actually thinking of that when I wrote it. though the film is soso the opening scene at the party is really extraordinary.

Still I'm thinking of something a little less crusading than BB. As to Victory... what a picture of lost opportunity. But then I think that about a lot of things.

[GreenEyesToo]

Now this is just plain spooky! I mention a biopic of Freddie Mercury, and look at this:

www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2006/11/08/queen-needs-your-help-who-can-channel-freddie-mercury/

And if you scroll to the end, you'll see someone else agrees with me about Rufe!

Maxx, I do agree with you about him playing "an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances" - his greatest strength is his ability to explore a character from the inside, as it were, and there must have been times when he has gone way beyond what was intended by the writer (Lord Marke comes to mind).

I wonder what Rufus would be like as a director? (okay, actor-director, so we can still see him) I think he must be a perfectionist about his own performance, but I wonder how he'd get others to deliver the same calibre of performance? Just imagine him directing, say, Shirley Henderson. Either he or she has said in the past that they work in a similar way.

GE2
PS - Uke, thanks for reminding me about those books _ I will check them out

[quoll]

I have a sneaky feeling that Rufus and Freddie both went to the same 6th form college but quite a few years apart. I hope he doesnt reprise Freddie though, that wouldnt be a great idea, the voice just isnt there.

[reveuse]

I agree with Maxx about the 'ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances'.

I also think Rufus would be very good at the anti-hero; someone who you don't immediately like (and who doesn't like himself) but come to respect as he grows through the story. I was trying to think of an example and the only one that sprung immediately to mind was Thomas Covenant. No, I cannot see Ruf wanting to do fantasy, or any filmmaker wanting to take the books on so soon after LOTR - but the idea of the anti-hero is there. Covenant is really rather a hateful, spiteful, self-pitying fellow at the start, who doesn't want to step up to the mark at all. But he changes and so does our opinion of him. I think Ruf would be very good at showing that kind of transformation.

Multi-layered would be good too - someone who is not what they seem. I can see him playing someone outwardly charming who turns out to be disturbing/disturbed. Pity they didn't cast him in Perfume..how about 'The Meaning of Night'? Argh...I'm frightening myself here. Bring back the romcoms, quick.

[maxx02]

It's just occured to me that I would really love to see Rufus do Larry in Closer on stage. I'd like to see him take an absolute, self-serving sh*t and add depth and warmth to him.

oooo. Now that I've said it, I want to see it so badly I can taste it. That's a little fantasy that will keep me going all week...