One name that obviously jumps to mind when thinking of an Al Capone biopic would be Robert De Niro since he did portray Capone in The Untouchables. But since that’s kind of a gimme it’s a little easier to go on and describe a few others that might be able to stretch their acting muscles and give this role a shot. Erik Davis of Fandango had a few ideas on the subject back in 2010 when Boardwalk Empire was still making its rise, but obviously since that time a few things have changed and the history of the mobster has been looked at up and down and front to back in order to make sure that the story is being told with enough accuracy. History has remembered Al Capone as many things, a killer, a thug, a gangster, and even a philanthropist if you can believe that. For all the crooked things he did he was still considered to be a human being that was known to do a few good things now and again, no matter that whatever good he did was pretty easily eclipsed by the bad. It’s kind of amusing that for all he got away with that it was the simple act of tax evasion that got him sent away in the end. Funny how life works out isn’t it?
While we’ve seen some great Capones before, here are a few actors that might be able to pull off the role of Al Capone and one who’s actually going to:
5. Zach Galifianakis
You might think I’m nuts for this but hear me out. Zach has been a funny guy for a lot of his career, he’s a comedian, that’s what he does. But portraying an older Al Capone would be a great way to stretch his acting muscles to the brink it would seem and really force him into another role that might add a layer of depth to his act. Whether he’d take the role or not is something that would have to be seen, but it would be interesting to see him go not just serious, not just deadpan, but completely and without reservation all drama without a single hint of hilarity to his character. It might actually be kind of impressive.
4. Leonardo DiCaprio
Now you know that Leo can do drama, there’s no doubt there and there’s no reason to think that he couldn’t step into this role with the greatest of ease. The man played J. Edgar Hoover for crying out loud, he can play a Chicago mobster if he was given the chance. Plus, the idea that such a role would give him another chance at another award would be something that might have a lot of people telling him to just go for it and make it work since Leo, despite having nothing to prove, could possibly have room on his shelf for another award that might look good to the one that’s already there. It does seem that he might be best as an older version of Capone though.
3. Tom Hardy (Is playing Capone)
There was the rumor going around that Tom Hardy was ready to retire, but it hasn’t happened yet. He’s kind of tired of acting and it’s taken a heavy toll on his body, but that’s partially his fault since he takes so much on himself when it comes to altering his body for a role. But as an actor he’s proven to be absolutely great in just about everything he does, including his stint as the most famous prisoner in England, Charlie Bronson. The depths he had to go to for that movie prove that he’s got what it takes to dig deep and find the necessary skill set he needs for just about any character that he takes on. Being seen as a younger version of Capone might be just up his alley. Well as it turns out, Fonzo is going to have its Capone in Hardy after all, and he’s still on our list.
2. Stephen Graham (we hope plays Capone)
You might not know Stephen Graham quite as well but he’s been around quite a bit and taken part in a lot of movies and TV shows. In fact in Boardwalk Empire he actually played a younger Al Capone so it’s entirely feasible that he could take up the role again and make it work. Plus, at this point he could possibly play a middle-aged Capone and show a different side of the character than we’ve seen before. Given his extensive background it would be something fun to see since he’s the kind of guy that you might not know that much about, but when you see him act you’ll understand why so many people have so much faith in him. Also,Graham was seen on set of Fonzo but we’re not 100% sure why. We sure hope it’s playing Capone at a different age than Hardy though that seems unlikely.
1. Jack Black
Again, you might think I’m nuts for mentioning another comedian, but it’s more about face and body shape in this selection since Jack Black is a rounder guy that does have the kind of look that would be great to see for Capone. It’s true that he’s done some drama but not a whole lot, but he is versatile enough it would seem to be cast in this type of role and really nail it out of the park. Plus, just like Zach, it would be a good way to stretch his acting muscles and make sure that he’s more than just a funny man.
There might be a lot more out there that could fit the bill, but these guys seem to have the looks and the skill.
P.S. it’d be awesome if De Niro somehow played him again.
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