CLASS ACTS
MARION McMULLEN looks at actors who have played other famous performers
5Dame Julie Andrews and Daniel Massey played stage star Gertrude Lawrence and Noel Coward in the 1968 movie Star! Daniel was the real-life godson of Noel Coward and made his film debut appearing in his 1942 wartime movie In Which We Serve. 6
The Aviator in 2004 saw Cate Blanchett pick up an Oscar for her portrayal of legendary Hollywood star Katharine Hepburn. Hepburn herself won four Oscars during her career. Director Martin Scorsese asked Cate to watch the first 15 movies Hepburn made to prepare for the role.
Helena Bonham Carter is playing Crossroads soap star Noele Gordon in new ITVX drama Nolly. She has also played Oscar winner Elizabeth Taylor in 2013 BBC drama Burton and Taylor opposite Dominic West. Nolly also sees Mark Gatiss as entertainer and Noele Gordon’s best friend Larry Grayson.
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My
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With Marilyn saw Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe during her time in England filming The Prince and the Showgirl with Sir Laurence Oliver. Michelle later said: “I wish that I could play her for the rest of my life.”
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Newport-born Michael Sheen is a master when it comes to playing real-life people on screen. He portrayed Carry On star Kenneth Williams in Fantabulosa!, below, Chris Tarrant in Quiz, broadcaster David Frost in Frost/Nixon and former prime minister Tony Blair three times. “It’s weird I’ve ended up playing so many real live people because I was never any good at impersonations at school,” he said.
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TV mini-series Feud in 2017 saw Susan Sarandon as Bette Davis and Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford and told the story behind the making of 1962 movie Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? and the legendary rivalry between the Hollywood stars. Faye Dunaway also played Joan Crawford in the 1981 film Mommie
Dearest. 3 Robert Downey Jr was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of silent movie star Charlie Chaplin in 1992 movie Chaplin. He said: “Working on Chaplin was really intensive and cost me years of my life, but if I could do it all over again, no doubt I would do it the same way.”
Porthcawl’s Gavin & Stacey star Ruth
Jones played Carry On favourite
Hattie Jacques in 2011 BBC biopic Hattie. Robert Bathurst played Dad’s Army star John Le Mesurier, Hattie’s real-life husband. He went on to play Sergeant Wilson in the Dad’s Army: The Lost Episodes in 2019. 4
The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers in 2004 saw Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush playing the British comedy star. Nigel Havers also appeared in the film as David Niven and Charlize Theron played Swedish actress Britt
Ekland.
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Babs in 2017 saw Samantha Spiro and Jaime Winstone both playing Dame Barbara Windsor in the BBC drama. Samantha first played the Carry On and EastEnders actress on stage in 1998 in the National Theatre production of Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick and reprised the role for the television adaption Cor, Blimey!