Casting Couch: Five Actors Who Could Play Kurt Cobain

Word out of Hollywood is the long dormant Kurt Cobain biopic project is back in play. Academy Award nominated writer/director Oren Moverman (The Messenger) is rumored to be in negotiations to take the reigns. Who knows if anything will come of this, but it’s a move in the right direction.

We here at FlickSided love to roll out the casting couch, so we felt this would be an opportune time to delve into who we think might have the chops to portray the talented but troubled grunge rocker. Here are five candidates who fit the bill.

Michael Pitt

The obvious choice would be Pitt, since he pretty much played Cobain in Gus Van Sant’s Last Days, which was loosely based on Cobain’s final days of life. The physical resemblance is uncanny, and Pitt’s acting abilities are not in question. However, this has a been there done that feel to it. Might be better to see a fresh face tackle the role.

Colin Farrell

Probably a touch too old, but if you saw Farrell kill it as a country music star in last year’s wonderful Crazy Heart, you could definitely see him as Cobain. His emotional acting style and penchant for playing dark brooding types would do well in capturing Cobain’s tortured soul.

Lou Taylor Pucci

We included Pucci as a dark horse candidate on our list of potential Spider-Mans. Well, he’d be a longshot here too, but his grunge-like looks could serve him and the movie well. He was amazing in 2005′s Thumbsucker and his profile would receive a major boost if he was cast.

Spike Jonze

An oddball selection for sure, but the boyish Jonze is eccentric and gifted enough to pull if off. He hasn’t done much in front of the camera since his breakthrough in Three Kings, but he was the best thing in that movie. Would he do it? Doubtful. Would he even be considered? No way. Still, you gotta admit, he’d be fun to watch.

Leonardo DiCaprio

If the filmmakers wanna go big, then the best and brightest in the game is the pick. He’d have to grow out his hair and drop some weight, but Leo would make an excellent Cobain. If any actor could reach the core of one of rock’s most enigmatic personalities, it would be DiCaprio. His talents and commitment are unlimited.