Russell Crowe to be Bill Hicks

Mr E

There is a physical resemblance there, but the voice is very different.

...he never achieved more than mediocre success before dying from cancer at the age of 32 in 1994. Meanwhile Dane Cook will almost certainly live to 140, and die in a mansion surrounded by Playboy playmates. It’s a cruel world.

Apparently he achieved enough notoriety however, for Hollywood to latch onto him, Russell Crowe in particular. Crowe recently told the Syndney Morning Herald and told them he’s developing a movie based on Hicks’ life. There’s a script currently being written by Australian Mark Staffer and word is that Crowe himself may end up playing Bill. Oddly enough, there is some small physical resemblance between the two.

More here (including a clip of Bill Hicks, if you've never heard of him...)

Cactus Col

I can see Crowe playing hicks alright. Both are(were) heavy set type guys. And Crowe is a good enough actor to get the voice down.

Both have the same precocious streak too.

c - 13

Just cant picture Crowe playing Hicks at all. Something just doesn't sit right with it for me ...

chin_grin

Woah this is going to be weird! That Texan drawl would be hard to do seeing that Crowe has such a deep bassy voice. Eh, don't know where THAT came from!

I'll reserve my opinions though. I'm a very biased lover of Hicks' so they better do him justice!

Nevyn

There was something charming and unoffensive about Hicks, something even cuddly he seemed jovial which is why he was able to deliever the material the way he did.
I can't see Crowe being able to bring that about.

bnt

I think the key to understanding Hicks is the way he struggled for years in the USA, before getting anywhere, which may have been to do with how critical he was of Americans. David Letterman liked him, though, then he was a hit at the Montreal Comedy Festival. He went to the UK on the back of that, filled theatres there, and Channel 4 were going to give BIll his own series when he became ill.So, I think this film will be about that: a prophet unwelcome in his own country, and all that.

He got to Australia, too:

I was over in Australia, and everyone's like: "Are you proud to be an American?" And I was like, "Um, I don't know, I didn't have a lot to do with it. You know, my parents f***ed there, that's about all."

:cool:

The Bollox

I was first introduced to Bill Hicks in college and thought he was hilarious. but it was only while watching him recently with some friends (whom I decided to introduce to him) that one of them said "he's not trying to be funny, he's just speaking his mind" while breaking his hole laughing. This is very true, the stuff I took for regular jokes were him just taking shots at the government and anyone who didn't agree with him, but it was brilliant the way he delivered it.

For example there's one where he goes on about how stock brokers are one of the many evils that sodomise our planet on a daily basis. While taking the piss out of him he kept saying "I know you stock brokers are waiting for the punchline, but there is none, please just kill yourselves". great stuff

Mr E

I think that was marketing people, not stock brokers.

User45701

a bill hicks movie would be great, Russel Crowe? all i will be thinking is "tugger! tugger! AWHHHHEOOOOOOO AH-WHOOOOOEEEEO"

but yes it was anyone in "sales or marketing" or was it adtertising? he did change up is act a bit, anyone see the hicks loses it vid? it was on youtube **** quality - bootleg but very funny.

Bubs101

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDMiiWdDneo

The Bollox

Mr E wrote: »

I think that was marketing people, not stock brokers.

you're right at the time Marketing sounded wrong for some reason

bluto63

I'd love to see a Bill Hicks movie but I'm not convinced about Russel Crowe. He has surprised me before though, so he might just pull it off

Galvasean

It will be especially strange if it shows Crowe saying some of Hicks' famous lines.

User45701

well all the famous ones about the first iraq war are all 100% true of the more recent one as well so its even funnier

heebusjeebus

Wonder will Goat boy make the cut.
Gonna be very dependant on the rating they are looking for.
Even though I dont think Goat boy is as funny as his political stuff.

Morlar

Thaedydal wrote: »

Hicks, something even cuddly he seemed jovial which

I think Hicks had a mean streak a country mile wide.

Funny as he was he could be extremely nasty and I am not talking about goat boy and the young girl who reminded him of ' a whisp of cotton candy'.

Google for the clip where a woman in the audience heckles him and he screamed the C word at the top of his voice at her for literally 2 minutes flat - he tore her to pieces and it was hilarious.

If I remember right he pranced around the stage going

'oh look at me I dont know anything cos I am a stupid woman C*** C*** C*** C*** C***'

and on and on. There was also the bit about Rush limbaugh and barbara bush which is shocking even now - I wont spoil it for you but it ends up with a bubble bursting and a worm scuttling away. He was right when he called that Dark poetry. Genius !!

Crowe would be a good choice in my view he is not some vain little hollywood twit - providing he nailed the accent he could make it work in my view.

Pigman II

I am excited at this news.

Mr E

Morlar wrote: »

I think Hicks had a mean streak a country mile wide.

Funny as he was he could be extremely nasty and I am not talking about goat boy and the young girl who reminded him of ' a whisp of cotton candy'.

His angriest stuff was in his final tour around the Rant in E-Minor/Arizona Bay albums, and the Igby's gig, which were recorded in his final tour after he found out he had terminal pancreatic cancer. I think I'd be a bit pissed too.... he just didn't give a f**k, and it is regarded by most to be his best work.

Ay Cee

Yeah Hicks had a real dark side according to the book on him.
I think Crowe is a great choice. I actually think it's a great casting choice.

Cactus Col

I think Denis Leary should play him.

Pigman II

Cactus Col wrote: »

I think Denis Leary should play him.

He'd be good for the Jim Fixx monologues at least.

Ay Cee

Hicks didn't like Leary because he copied a lot of his material. Major instance concerned the shooting of John Lennon & not Yoko piece.

Necronomicon

Been thinking about this for the last few days. While my initial reaction was surprise, I think Crowe could do a really good job. As others have said, he has the talent and the temprement to play Hicks.

It's great that he's getting a biopic. I often wonder what kind of material he'd have on modern day events.

Tigger

Ay Cee wrote: »

Hicks didn't like Leary because he copied a lot of his material. Major instance concerned the shooting of John Lennon & not Yoko piece.

yes and also the jimm fixx bit

wezzopalooza

Hasn't Denis Leary played Hicks many many times before??????????????;)

bnt

Pardon the necrothreadia, but the news now is that Crowe is planning to direct but not star in his Bill Hicks biopic - his directorial debut - and the search is on to find an actor to play Hicks.

Littlehorny

Bill Hicks is very overated imo. George Carlin much better stand up in that style of public commentary and attacking the government. If Crowe is directing the film will be rubbish as Crowe has disappeared up his own hole since he made it big.

IsThisIt???

bnt wrote: »

Pardon the necrothreadia, but the news now is that Crowe is planning to direct but not star in his Bill Hicks biopic - his directorial debut - and the search is on to find an actor to play Hicks.

That sounds much better. Crowes a great actor but I was picturing him playing Hicks in my head and some of the lines Hicks delivered would just sound too angry/scary coming from Crowe.

I think it's going to be a very hard role to get the right actor for. They might be best off getting someone with some degree of comedic experience, depending on how much of his performances they're gonna incorporate. Can't really think of any candidates off the top of my head

Sleepy

User45701 wrote: »

well all the famous ones about the first iraq war are all 100% true of the more recent one as well so its even funnier

A friend of mine, watching Hicks for the first time shortly after the second Gulf war thought it was about George Jnr and was wondering when Hicks would be touring Ireland.

Cactus Col wrote: »

I think Denis Leary should play him.

Leary has made quite enough money off of Bill Hicks memory I think.

Definitely a movie I'd go see in the cinema. With the right casting, this could be brilliant.

Tayleur

Pity Val Kilmer isnt 20 years younger. He would be perfect imo

Hard to think of an actor who is perfect now

Da Shins Kelly

I feel weird about this. I didn't know the guy, but for some reason I feel like he'd hate this.