Who would you cast as Gene Kelly?

Who is he? What is he in?

There isn't a single famous actor nowadays who possesses the sheer masculine attractiveness, charisma and above all else, TALENT, that Gene Kelly had. I wouldn't be able to cast anyone as him, as most contemporary actors are not only short on talent and personality, but are downright ugly without heavy makeup and Photoshop.

That's why I think an unknown may be the best option, R2.

What’s his tik tok username? Does he have an OF?

An unknown. Someone who is a trained dancer who can recreate his dances, can sing, act, and is very charming, charismatic and handsome.

Penn Badgely. Richard Madden (especially now). Or here's a left-field choice: Dan Levy.

Assuming any of these have an aptitude for dance.

Richard Madden? They look NOTHING ALIKE.

Honestly, I'm convinced they need an unknown.

Check out these two recreating Moses Supposes. The guy playing Gene looks something like him, though a little tall.

Tom Holland.

Dan fuckin Levy?! Are you on drugs?

Nobody has a backside as beautiful.

Robbie Fairchild or Sebastian Stan.

Christopher Abbott

If they were going with a big name, I'd go with Ryan Gossling who can sing and dance and is more than good enough looking.

Zac Efron

Are you nuts, R15? He looks nothing like Gene.

I think the young man in the video from R9 looks good and would make a passable Gene. Plus, he can obviously dance.

I can shing and dansch

He looks like a younger, healthier Ben Affleck, but that's where the similarity ends

Wow. I guess white people think all white people look alike.

A YOUNG Matthew Broderick could have possibly done it.

I said in another thread, TOM HARDY.

A YOUNG Matthew Broderick!!! Are you Stevie Wonder?!

John Cusack comes to mind but doubt he can sing and dance. I imagine a theater actor could do the job nicely. Tom Hardy doesn't have Kelly's style IMO.

Dat ass...

The answer is obvious. TimO’Tay.

Chris Evans

Matt Bomer

You're all crazy. All of you. There's NO ONE famous that can pull it off. NO ONE.

I said a YOUNG Matthew Broderick because he can sing, dance and act, plus he had a theatre background, R23. He wouldn't be perfect, but someone like him.

Joseph Gorak, soloist with ABT. Don’t know if he can sing but maybe he can take singing and acting lessons.

Most importantly for casting Gene Kelly is that the actor has to be able not just dance but move like/ have carriage of a dancer. If you look at Gene Kelly, part of hid charisma had to do with his dancer’s posture and way he moved when not dancing.

Vote for Ryan Gosling. He can sing, dance and has excellent comedic timing.

David Alvarez - make it a color-blind cast.

Kelly was Irish and you need someone with a touch of that blarney!

[quote]That's why I think an unknown may be the best option, [R2].

That would be the best option for most biopics about famous actors and actresses. When I look at Nicole Kidman in Grace of Monaco, all I see is Nicole Kidman.

Interesting, R30. He may be the best choice so far. Is he muscular like Gene though?

R26 Lol

Okay, here's the guy from the above linked video. Dancer and can sing and act too.

Tony Yazbeck.

Not a not facial match but an actor dancer singer with Broadway cred.

Good ass too.

[quote] David Alvarez - make it a color-blind cast.

YAAAAAS! The most talented person should always get the part, regardless of color.

R35 yes he’s got juicy thighs. Check him and his butt/ thighs out in an excerpt from Balanchine’s masterpiece Theme and Variations, video at around 42:30 mark, his ballerina partner is Sarah Lane, who was the double who did actual dancing for Natalie Portman in Black Swan.

HE WAS OLIVE SKINNED. Not pasty white.

No to everyone suggested in this thread aside from

the ballet dancer

Tony Yazbeek

the tap dancer

Another vote for Tony Yazbeck.

Being honest, I wouldn't cast anyone as Gene Kelly because most people under 50 don't know who he is. Like Spielberg's West Side Story, no one cares.

“They” shouldn’t cast anyone as Mean Smelly. Don’t tell his story. The end.

I've never heard of Tony Yazbeck, but after looking him up, he's my choice, too!

If he's not on TIK TOK apparently he doesn't exist.

Louis Gaunt is nowhere near as handsome as Gene Kelly, but he is an excellent dancer and with lots of makeup, could have a somewhat passing resemblance, R37. So far, he'd be the best candidate.

David Alvarez and Tony Yazbeck are talented, but hideously ugly. As for the people who have suggested Ryan Gosling, Penn Badgley, Dan Levy and Richard Madden, all I can say is that you're either joking or high. All of them are plain-looking and none of them have enough dancing and singing talent, nor enough charisma.

Here's Louis Gaunt's profile. Too tall, but his height could be worked with, and he could pass facially with some makeup, as you say, R48.

Tom Hardy looks nothing like Gene Kelly. Not even close.

That's true, R50. But current Hollywood stars have a tendency to get their publicists to say that they look like Golden Age legends, for some reason. And if someone as mediocre and plastic-looking as Kate Beckinsale can be compared to the ravisingly beautiful Ava Gardner, all comparisons are valid...

Joseph Gorak can fill out a pair of street pants too. Photo from a modern work titled Dumbarton. He’s the right height and proportions too for Kelly. I’d guess his height to be around 5’7”.

R48 needs to have his eyes checked. David and Tony are damn sexy.

His nose is all wrong though, R52. He's not right facially and his features aren't expressive, his face just kind of blends.

Another vote for Zac Effron

As we can see, the local representative of the "I Fancy Anything With a Pulse" brigade @R53, has deigned to visit us. Thanks for letting me know that my eyesight is more selective than yours, dearie.

HE. WAS. OLIVE. SKINNED.

I’m just getting a kick out of the fact the person on the other thread policing it made another thread…

R57, which is why I like Louis Gaunt.

How about Rita Moreno? She can dance. Rita worked with Gene, she could capture his "essence." She really wants another Oscar. And Rita can stretch, and kick, and SHE'S 90! 90 years old!

This could be my audition tape…

Channing Tatum - For your viewing pleasure: "No Dames" from [italic]Hail, Caesar[/italic]

Channing Tatum is way too ugly to play Gene.

[quote] 👏 HE. 👏 WAS. 👏 OLIVE. 👏 SKINNED. 👏

FTFY

How do you know, R54, have you seen him emote up close or dance onstage? His profile and countenance IMO approximate those of Kelly’s, and like I say the key is not to find a face that looks exactly like Kelly’s but someone who can move like him WITH the right build.

I think the key is to find a dancer who can sing passably instead of a singer who can dance passably. Kelly is considered more of a dancer-actor first rather than singing actor who could dance. It should be an unknown, maybe someone on Broadway or ballet world.

What about Derek Hough?

Ron Livingston, when he was younger.

Derek Hough can tap.

Nick Jonas maybe if he cleaned off all those hideous moles and axed the faux wife.

I second Christopher Abbott.

To bad Patrick Swayze isn’t alive. An unknown dancer should be cast, but they need a celebrity to attract an audience. Ryan Gosling would be my pick or maybe even Justine Timberlake. 🤭

Derek Hough really is an amazing dancer. Don’t think any actor could compare to a professional dancer.

Chris Messina or Mark Ruffalo.

Young Ron Livingston or Kyle Chandler look like him, but I can’t imagine either of them dancing or moving like him at all.

John Goodman

Okay, well if they're going to cast Chris Evans, why not go for Hugh Jackman? He has marginal tap skills at least.

Jason Sudeikis

R56 wanted to use the vocabulary word he just learned: deigned (after getting his eyes checked).

Aaron Tveit

Another vote for Chris Messina. Right height and build, great smile, can dance.

Puke, R78.

Raven Simone

Broadway dancer/singer/actor/star Tony Yazbeck has the ass in spades. Nobody else does. But Tony doesn't have the overall star quality.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

I already turned it down.

It's clear that most of you would make horrible casting directors.

John Travolta.

Jake Picking

Johnny Lee Miller.

Jonah Hill.

OMG, guys. At least try.

I said…Jake Picking damnit!

Lucille Ball was interested, but Gary said no.

Nobody can play Gene Kelly effectively.

But if anyone wants to film Tony Yazbeck's ass for two hours, I'll watch every second,

As long as they don't show his face, R93!

I know , I know, but Channing Tatum.

I loved his dance scene in Hail Caesar. He's nowhere the dancer Gene Kelly was, but he can be trained. He has the same athleticism.

It's going to be Darren Criss.

Are we talking about a Gene Kelly biopic or a remake of a Gene Kelly film?

If it’s the former, they probably need a bankable actor who has a passable resemblance. If it’s a remake, eh, they want an unknown and try to get a bankable second lead.

Remaking a film with a bunch of dancing is tricky because audiences’ eyes may start to glaze over. But obviously it’s part of the man’s legacy.

I don’t discount Darren Criss anymore after the Versace miniseries, although I’m not sure Gene Kelly had a bloodthirsty affect.

I only just learned about Gene, but I think I could have easily been in love with him. He just seems like an amazing, brave guy. Especially for the times.

I fucking LOVE Christopher Abbott!

I looked on Google Images and Tony Yazbeck has quite a nice face - don't know what some of you are going on about. At least as good looking as GK.

I don’t anything about this person. But to me he looks like Ben Affleck or Paul Rudd.

Almost everyone suggested is too old, his dancing career was pretty much over before he was 45.

You'd need an actor in their 30's to make a bio-pic work.

[quote]Almost everyone suggested is too old, his dancing career was pretty much over before he was 45.

He looks 50 in that pic posted at OP.

R104 If he's 50 in that pic then it's 10 years after Singin' In The Rain which was released when he was 40.

[QUOTE] 46 years old might seem like a young age for retirement, but as Kelly explained, when he felt like it was time to hang up his dancing shoes because he could no longer get the reaction he wanted from audiences. He also added that while he could have continued dancing in some way forever, he couldn’t “be satisfied with dancing …when you can’t jump over a table but you have to take a run at it.”

[quote]I looked on Google Images and Tony Yazbeck has quite a nice face - don't know what some of you are going on about.

Yeah, I'd love to see photos of the DL queens who are carrying on about how Tony Yazbeck is supposedly unattractive. I'm sure the participants in this thread are mostly print ad models.

Those guys in R9 are actually really, really good!

Compare this face

To this one

R108/R109, now please post a pic of yourself. I'm sure you're so beautiful it hurts.

This is perfect for Darren "I'm not gay" Chriss

Dancer Christopher Rice could handle the dance numbers easily. Don't know about the acting portion, but he's an excellent dancer. He as also in the Book of Mormon

Christopher Rice (no relation to Anne Rice) is the dancer in the black shirt and vest in the video below.

The guy in the white shirt is his husband, Clay Thomson.

Yazbeck is about 10 times the singer Kelly was.

That doesn't mean he's the right person to play Kelly, R114.

I didn't say he was, r115.

[quote]Dancer Christopher Rice could handle the dance numbers easily.

He's all wrong.

Too femme and boyish. Gene Kelly was manly.

Also what these dancers get wrong is that their moves are fussy.

Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, their movements were crisp, almost mechanical. They also had a way of keeping their heads still while they danced. As if their heads were floating above their body. It made everything seem effortless and graceful. They were very economical with their movements. They also kept their faces expressionless, no grimacing, heads were held high for the camera and lighting.

^please excuse typos.

The guy from R9 is best so far.

I agree with what R117 says about Rice. A great dancer, but not right for Kelly.

What you need is a performer so dynamic, so electric, so versatile he can captivate the audience in any medium: on stage, on film, with song, with heart.

Clearly I am the only choice. And no, it's not just me and my dad who say so.

Chris Messina looks like a Vulcan. No , no, and no.

[quote]The guy from [R9] is best so far.

Standards are so low today on B'way, so yeah, I guess that's ok.

All the great B'way dancers are gone.

Go to the 3:00 mark, watch Don Correia....worthy of MGM. Look at their big graceful crisp clean powerful effortless movements.

Channing Tatum

It's a tough call because Kelly really was one of a kind. Thinking about who could play him reminds me of the duo dance in White Knights: you need someone with both the technical excellence, speed, and elegance of Baryshnikov but the masculine and relaxed feel of Hines. Someone who could plausibly stop in the middle of a gorgeous pirouette and knock you on your ass with one punch.

The place to look would be outside the box: away from the classically trained Broadway-style dancers and someplace like the world of Irish dancing. A good pick would be someone like this lead dancer beginning at about 1:50 (not him, but someone with that style and energy):

That guy is very muscular, R125 and someone like him would be a good choice.

Performers like Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire worked on stage for years before they came to Hollywood. By that time. they knew every trick in the book. No one has that kind of training today.

Though I prefer Gene Kelly (he's relatable...and hot), watch these two together. Fred Astaire's elegant moves are unearthly, almost like a cartoon.

Elliot Page

No one is going to produce a movie about Gene Kelly and pluck some guy from the chorus line to star in it. Unless it’s produced by some low budget production company with very little distribution.

There's newcomers in film all the time, R129, and can work in musicals. Movie musicals usually suck because they try and cast a less talented celeb like what happened with Les Mis. Get a newcomer to play Gene and round out the cast with some bigger names, I say.

I think Olly Murs would be a good choice. PS Was Gene Kelly gay?

Ewww! R131, no!!!

[quote] Was Gene Kelly gay?

There were gay rumors about him, so I assume he was on the dl.

Probably Tom Holland in about 5 years.

He's a trained dancer and can sing OK.

R133 I imagine you're joking.

I think Andrew Garfield could pull it off. He's tiny, so he'd have to bulk up but actors do it all the time for roles.

Based on OP's pic, he won't have to be that hot. Just have a bird face. Yuck. Horrible eyes and that the fuck happened to his nose! Plastic surgery gone wrong.

Young Marlon Brando.

R133 Tommy is a horrible dancer. He is too awkward/uncoordinated and has no fluidity of movement.

R122 Wow, the dancers posted in your post are leaps and bounds better than everyone else posted in this thread. I agree that the dancers on B’way have gone down hill, but why exactly do you think that is?

R139 Why? Fran Leibowitz explains it all to you at the link below.

The discerning audience is gone.

When I read posters here praising the clunky amateurs seen in some of the videos here, it sickens me.

R139 Let's make a comparison.

Broadway 1969 "Promises Promises".

Look at the style, the sophistication.

Now look at excerpts from the same number from the B'Way revival of 2010.

It's like a high school production.

The best way to describe EVERYONE since the ascendancy of the revolting Kardashians is: it's like polishing a turd. It's all fucking garbage.

In your opinion, R143, R140, R122 what are the two from R9 lacking? Obviously they're not Kelly and O'Connor, but I thought they were excellent, especially for a couple of students. I think they're only 20 or thereabouts in that clip.

R144 The dancers from a hundred years ago probably spent ten thousand hrs to hone their craft. The turds these days spend ten hrs and think they are better than the greats from a century ago. These days, "dancers" are stiff and wooden like most actors.

R145, those particular dancers were students when that was filmed, so they are honing their craft. I'm sincerely interested in your criticisms of the pair. What is it that they're lacking?

R146 I just said, you stupid fuck. This generation wrongly thinks they are each and all celebrities. They think they deserve every award and accolade just for showing up. They don't have any real skills or talents. Just huge egos and generational entitlement. What is wrong with these "dancers" is what is wrong with everyone in their generation.

Who is this insane eldergay who acts like Gene Kelly is the most beautiful man of all time? The little dwarf doesn't even crack the top 20 most attractive actors of his generation.

R147 How old are you? Are you from Gene Kelly's generation? Why are you trying to claim Gene Kelly as one of your own?

R148 Agreed. He looks like a bird man with the worst nose job in the history of all mankind.

R149 Fuck off, Janbot.

Holy, R147. I asked a simple question. I don't think those two kids are asking for anything for just showing up, but if that's your opinion - fine.

R146 They're good, they're adorable. Ready to be cast as Gene and Donald? No, but they're on the right track IMHO.. To get to where Don Correia is in the clip at R122 takes years and it takes working with great choreographers. Choreographers like Michael Bennett at R141 are long gone.

As usual, Boomers are trying to take credit for arts and talents that preceded them, in this case Gene Kelly

Oh please, R148.

Finn if he can dance.

Regarding the comparison performances of Turkey Lurkey @ R141 and R142, clearly, the director and choreographer @ R142 are clearly asleep at the wheel. Unimaginative, lazy, amateurish. Sad, and unacceptable. The producers also need a kick in the ass. All of them.

Tony winner Donna McKechnie and company @ R141 are untouchable, and magnificent.

R122 Thanks for sharing that Leibowitz quote. I suppose I had never thought of the audience members being lost in addition to the performers, but that makes sense.

R146 I’m not R122, but what I saw the difference between each group of dancers was this— The dancers in R9 aren’t bad and are all the things you have said in your various posts they are. It’s impressive they have the choreography down, that they can perform and sustain the whole number like that, and the enthusiasm is clearly there for them to have spent so much time and energy trying to perfect it. But when you watch Gene Kelly perform it, or even the 1985 performance you realize the finesse, technique, and absolute precision isn’t quite there yet. One thing that made Gene Kelly so wonderful is how effortless he made his dancing look. As an audience member you’re aware of some of the difficulty and the talent he possesses when watching him, but you are also struck by how easy he makes it look. If you really observe and look closely though, you become aware that while he has a quality of effortlessness, he by no means loses any of the precision needed to be considered a great technical dancer. He might look like he is skipping about, throwing his arms here and there somewhat casually (this is of course, an oversimplification), but look again and you realize he isn’t REALLY doing any of it casually. Or he is, but he’s only at the point where he can perform it so casually because he has ripped it apart and knows EXACTLY where every part of his body should be at each moment. He creates great lines and his dancing has a sharpness that the dancers at R9 have not yet acquired. The 1985 dancers come much closer in comparison. Can you see the difference when you go back and watch now? The stories of how mean and how hard Gene Kelly worked on his dancing are legendary (he made Debbie Reynolds crying during SITR). He would work and work and work (even though he was already much much better than most others) to make sure his performance was seamless. The dancers at R9 have energy and enthusiasm, but don’t have the seamless, “clear” quality that the other two do? Does any of that make any sense in helping you discern the difference?

The new Turkey Trot video is an abomination. Nothing like the older version which becomes absolutely electric once they get into it. Keep sharing your wisdom R122 so we can keep learning! Thank you.

Nick Cannon

[quote]The stories of how mean and how hard Gene Kelly worked on his dancing are legendary (he made Debbie Reynolds crying during SITR).

The brutally demanding choreographers like Michael Bennett and Bob Fosse could not work on today's Broadway. Not in today's climate.

Thank you, R153.

R158, your explanation made a lot of sense, and yes, I can definitely see the difference between the pair at R9 and R122. I think the dancers in R9 are excellent but not up to par with the pair at R122.

[quote] The stories of how mean and how hard Gene Kelly worked on his dancing are legendary (he made Debbie Reynolds crying during SITR). He would work and work and work (even though he was already much much better than most others) to make sure his performance was seamless.

I've heard the stories about how terrible he was to work with, but, if he'd been soft the dance sequences in the films wouldn't have been as good. Like, R160 says, the demanding choreographers wouldn't get work today.

Who the fuck cares? He wasn't all that!

[quote] the demanding choreographers wouldn't get work today.

Today's B'way is about diversity, equity, feelings....

Even critics have their hands tied.

[quote] He might look like he is skipping about, throwing his arms here and there somewhat casually (this is of course, an oversimplification), but look again and you realize he isn’t REALLY doing any of it casually.

Right down to facial expressions.

If you look at the kids at R9, their expressions are mostly general, but watch how Gene Kelly's face tells a story, turning his dance moves into a dialogue.

This guy maybe too tall.

He can wear padding on his buttocks and get the Pixel people to remove any crows feet.

Wasn't Gene a closeted homo (like moi)?

Johnny Rapid is a dead ringer!!!!

Don Cheadle.

Me! Cast Meee!!

Debbie Reynolds couldn’t keep up, it was obvious in that clip at R163 she wasn’t a graceful dancer.

I reckon this controversial, very young man has the arrogance, the good bones and meaty flesh to do the job.

They might need to use some digital trickery to do the dancing part.

Zachary Quinto

Freddie Stroma from UnREAL and Peacemaker would be great. They bear a passing resemblance when his hair is dark, great actor with comedic chops, and he can sing and dance.

Young Gene Kelly was fucking hot.

R173 = Original thought.

R174 = someone else's fart.

On public transit.

Dick Van Dyke

Tony Danza

Tony Yazbeck

Corey Cott

I wish GK had been in Sunset Blvd. Imagine how hot he would be as cynical Joe

He'd have been hot in anything, R180.

ok don’t come for me but Jamie Vardy looks a bit like Gene??

Darren Criss. Like him or not, he is talented and could pull this off.

The comeback opportunity for Will Smith.

I look like Gene and can tap, sing, and act.

Good Morning.

Maybe someone from "Dancing With the Stars."

The guy in R186 is talented but he's all wrong for Kelly.

Jean Dujardin could play an older Gene, no idea if he can dance though.

Zac Efron

He can sing and has been in a few musicals. He'll have to learn to dance like Natalie Portman did in Black Swan.

Channing Tatum

The guy who recreated Gene Kelly's role in Moses Supposes (linked upthread) is getting some work.

Ewww, no, R191. Ewww.

R193 see Hail, Caeser

Kai Widdrington is a dancer with the same stocky physique and similar rugged good looks.

Finn Wittrock.

No Brits!

How about an Irish, R197?

Kate McKinnon

Part of the problem with biopics these days is that we've moved so far away from the time these legends were living that there just isn't anyone similar to them anymore. The culture and society has changed too much. The best we can do is a moderately decent imitation, and that goes for things as recent as the 1970s and 1980s. I'm thinking of Battle of the Sexes, where enough people should be alive who actually saw the 1973 event to make it convincing, yet they still couldn't quite do it. Elton John was involved in his own biopic and yet it still wasn't convincing in either tone or aesthetic.

Trying to capture the essence of someone from the 1940s is just not going to happen.

[quote]One thing that made Gene Kelly so wonderful is how effortless he made his dancing look.

Oh, I very much disagree. Kelly wanted you to know how much work he was putting into his dancing. Just look at the clip posted earlier with Kelly and Astaire together, Astaire was trying to make it look effortless, Kelly wanted you to see his accomplishments and see that it was hard work, so you'd be impressed, and also so you'd know that YOU'D never be able to do anything like it.

As for the gay rumors, Arthur Laurents said in his memoir that he didn't think Kelly was gay, but Kelly would try too hard to make sure people didn't think he was gay sometimes, and that made Laurents wonder if maybe he was.

Find an unknown look-alike that can dance decently.

He was too hot not to be gay.

I think it's going to be hard to find someone who can do this.

I like Jonathan Rhys Meyers for the role.

No interest in seeing a biography of Gene Kelly or Kelly Martin for the matter

Ethan Peck (Gregory's grandson and Spock from the Discovery series) looks quite a bit like him--I have no idea if he could sing or dance.

Someone with teeny tiny feet

Santino Fontana or the guy who replaced him later in Crazy Ex-girlfriend.

Laverne Cox

Josh O’Connor

Viola Davis as Michelle Obama as Gene Kelly

Sean Hayes

Jamie Foxx

Chrissy Metz

Will Smith

This----

Ryan Gosling or Jake Gyllenhaal.