Emeril Lagasse is unquestionably one of the most well known celebrity chefs of his time. He has been perfecting his craft for decades and as such, he is now n a position that relatively few people ever find themselves in- one where he has the chance to call his own shots, largely by doing exactly what he wants to do when he wants to do it. Is this a bad thing? Not at all. He has worked for a long time to be at the level that he is today. These days, he doesn’t have to keep working. He does it because he loves what he does and he enjoys sharing his creations with other people.
There is certainly no question that being a professional chef is hard work. Very few individuals make it to the level that has been achieved by Lagasse. Fewer still set themselves apart from virtually everyone else in order to become a household name. He has managed to do both and he makes it look easy. The truth is, things are rarely as easy or as effortless as they look to someone who hasn’t walked a mile in that person’s shoes. In fact, it’s quite possible for a person to be struggling with all kinds of challenges, sometimes so heavy that they could easily break a person, and yet they make it look like they have just been sailing through life. When everybody on the outside looking in thinks that life comes so easily for another person, it’s usually anything but easy. The thing that most people never see involves all of the internal struggles that a person has to go through in order to get to a place in their lives where they’re really happy.
Does that mean that Emeril Lagasse has gone through struggles of his own. Sure it does. There isn’t a person alive who hasn’t had to bear a cross of their own, struggling with one thing or another. As far as knowing what all of those struggles are, some people are better at keeping things a secret than others. Emeril seems to be one of the best. That being said, you know that a biopic of his life would be interesting to watch, especially if he really opened up and allowed the story to be told, warts and all. Perhaps the bigger question is, who would play him?
Think about five actors that could conceivably do the part. It doesn’t matter if they look similar or even if they are roughly the same age as Emeril. All of that can handled with makeup. The question is, who can transform themselves into someone else so well that they can make you believe you’re not watching an actor- you’re watching someone that you’re already at least somewhat familiar with, the great Emeril Lagasse.
Clearly, you need people who can act extremely well. They have to be able to turn in a stellar performance that won’t leave anyone else doubting that they committed themselves wholeheartedly to the role. The thing is, even that may not be enough. They also have to be able to literally become someone else in order to be successful in this particular role. There are relatively few actors who can lose themselves in the role in which they’re playing.
Who are the top five choices? Remember, this is a list that is completely subjective. The opinions are my own and no one else’s. You may agree or disagree, but there is no doubt that these five choices would make an interesting movie, at the very least.
1. Matthew Perry
He’s already done one biopic where he played none other than Ted Kennedy. Clearly, he doesn’t shy away from playing a challenging role where he will have to find a way to get into the head of someone who was larger than life. He also had to do the entire project with a fair amount of historical accuracy, all while making it believable for the audience.
2. Taron Egerton
Speaking of people who can throw themselves into a character and make it believable, it was hard for film-goers to remember that they weren’t actually watching Elton John himself in Rocketman, the biopic and fantasy musical in which his life story unfolds. This too is a larger than life role and a performance to match. If you watch Egerton’s performance in this movie, you will alternately find yourself laughing and crying as you not only feel as though you are watching the great Elton John himself, but also begin to identify with some of the struggles he goes through.
3. Steve Carell
You might be scratching your head at this one but hear me out for a minute. He did an excellent job in Battle of the Sexes, playing tennis great Bobby Riggs. There is little doubt that he has the acting chops to pull off such a role. He’s just not on the radar as much as some other actors when it comes to roles of this type.
4. Dane DeHaan
This isn’t a name that a lot of people are familiar with but if you watch his performance in the biopic about the legendary James Dean, you will probably become a fan by the time the movie is over. He has proven he has the mettle to do the role, even if he doesn’t have as much experience as some of the other actors on this list.
5. Tom Hiddleston
He jumped into the role of Hank Williams, not exactly the easiest thing to do. More importantly, he made it work. That lends some credence to the idea that he could play the role of Emeril Lagasse as well.
In reality, any of these people could conceivably play the part and get the job done. They have all been in similar circumstances before and they all did an outstanding job. If you’re looking for a top pick from these five individuals, my money would be on Taron Egerton. In truth, it would be interesting to see what he would do with the role. No doubt it would be worth seeing.
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