Biopic fans and audiences will have one biographical sports drama film checked off the list with the scheduled theatrical release of Michael Mann‘s Ferrari on December 25, 2023. Mann, one of the leading filmmakers of his generation, is known for directing top films like The Last of the Mohicans (1992), The Insider (1999), Ali (2001), Collateral (2004), and Public Enemies (2009). Michael Mann makes his return as director after his long absence since Blackhat (2015).
The Ferrari (2023) story and screenplay are written by Scottish-born screenwriter Troy Kennedy Martin (known for his 1969 The Italian Job screenplay). The film examines the life and professional struggles of the Ferrari S.p.A. founder, Enzo Ferrari. Ferrari’s screenplay is based on motorsports journalist Brock Yates‘ 1991 biography, Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine. To help bring the screenplay to life, these are the top cast of Michael Mann’s Ferrari (2023).
Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari
Before Adam Driver was cast to portray Enzo Ferrari in the biopic, Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman were first considered. In Ferrari (2023), Enzo Ferrari is introduced in the mid-50s. At the time, he’s already an ex-race car driver, a mourning father (having lost his son, Dino), and his company at the brink of bankruptcy. The death of his son hasn’t only affected him mentally but is affecting his marriage with his wife, Laura Ferrari. Much of the film centers around Ferrari taking a bet and risking it all by putting his car in the iconic Mille Miglia race. Adam Driver is known for playing Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, BlacKkKlansman (2018), Marriage Story (2019), House of Gucci (2021), White Noise (2022), 65 (2023).
Penélope Cruz as Laura Ferrari
Academy Award-winning Spanish actress Penélope Cruz was cast as Enzo Ferrari’s wife, Laura Ferrari. Enzo and Laura married in 1928 and only had a child, Dino. Unfortunately, Dino died from muscular dystrophy in 1956, a year before the events of Ferrari began. Dino’s death put a strain on Enzo and Laura’s marriage. However, despite their trials as a couple, Enzo and Laura remained a couple until her death in 1978. Penélope Cruz is known for her Academy Award-nominated performances in Volver (2006), Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), Nine (2009), and Parallel Mothers (2022). She also starred in Gothika (2003), Sex and the City 2 (2010), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), Murder on the Orient Express (2017), and The 355 (2022).
Shailene Woodley as Lina Lardi
Lina Lardi was Enzo Ferrari’s mistress. They shared a son, Piero, who was born in 1945, 13 years after Enzo’s legitimate son, Dino. However, because of the prevailing laws surrounding divorce in Italy at the time, Piero wasn’t recognized as Ferrari’s son until the death of his wife, Laura Ferrari. As the only living child of Enzo Ferrari, Piero currently sits as the vice chairman and owns 10.23% of the company.
Actress Shailene Woodley plays Enzo Ferrari’s mistress, Lina Lardi. Woodley’s performance has been singled out for praise, with a few insinuating she outperformed and overshadowed Adam Driver’s performance. Shailene Woodley is known for her roles in the Divergent film series, The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2008–2013), The Fault in Our Stars (2014), Snowden (2016), Big Little Lies (2017, 2019), and The Mauritanian (2021).
Patrick Dempsey as Piero Taruffi
Patrick Dempsey was cast as Italian race car driver Piero Taruffi in Ferrari.. Piero Taruffi drove the Ferrari 315 S to victory at the 1957 Mille Miglia. However, following the death of a fellow driver, Alfonso de Portago, Taruffi retired from racing. Interestingly, actor Patrick Dempsey is also a professional racing driver. He has participated in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, American Le Mans Series, and Rolex Sports Car Series. As an actor, Dempsey is known for playing neurosurgeon Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd on the popular ABC medical drama series Grey’s Anatomy (2005–2015). He also starred in the Enchanted films and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011).
Gabriel Leone as Alfonso de Portago
Brazilian actor and musician Gabriel Leone portrays Spanish racing driver Alfonso de Portago in Ferrari (2023). He was one of Ferrari’s drivers at the iconic Mille Miglia. He was dating actress Linda Christian before his death in the race. During a brief stop at the 1957 Mille Miglia, he shared a kiss with Christian, which was captured and later titled “The Kiss of Death” by the press. It was the last photograph taken of him before his death. Actor Gabriel Leone, who portrays Portago, is known for playing the leading role in Amazon Prime Video‘s Dom TV series.
Sarah Gadon as Linda Christian
Canadian actress Sarah Gadon portrays Mexican film actress Linda Christian in Michael Mann’s Ferrari (2023). Christian is the first Bond girl, playing the role in the TV adaptation of the Casino Royale novel in 1954. She was married to and divorced popular screen idol Tyrone Power. She had finalized her divorce from Tyrone Power a month before the famous “The Kiss of Death” photograph was taken. Sarah Gadon is known for her performances in A Dangerous Method (2011), Enemy (2013), and Dracula Untold (2014). Michael Mann’s Ferrari (2023) is her third film of 2023, also starring in Seagrass and Coup!
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