Bob Newhart has a surprising star in mind to play him in a biopic: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. The legendary entertainer got his start as a comedian, with standup recordings that remain some of the most popular and successful comedy albums of all time. He later transitioned to acting and had a celebrated television career, most notably with his sitcom The Bob Newhart Show. In 2013, he won his first Emmy award for guest starring on The Big Bang Theory. At age 91, he’s been an industry staple for over 60 years.
As for Johnson, the entertainer started off his career as a wrestler before making the leap to film and TV, where he's since become one of the most prolific performers in Hollywood. The busy actor now has an extensive resume that runs the gamut of action and comedy, appearing in the Fast & Furious franchise - and getting his own spinoff in Hobbs & Shaw - and helping to revive Jumanji in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level. Not one to slow down, Johnson has a number of projects in various stages of development, including Netflix actioner Red Notice, Disney's Jungle Cruise and his long-awaited DC movie, Black Adam. And if Newhart has his way, Johnson can add a biopic to his list.
Newhart spoke to THR to commemorate some of his early work being added to streaming services (including Amazon Prime, iTunes, and Google Play), beginning with Off the Record, a collection of stand up routines from the ‘60s. Beyond reflecting on the past, Newhart also looked to the future, being asked who he’d like to play him in a biopic of his life. Witty as ever, the comedian proposed an unlikely candidate in Johnson. He joked:
"Because of our physical resemblance, I am always confused for him. Fans start talking wrestling and I have to say, 'No, I am not him.'"
Of course, if Newhart were to receive the biopic treatment, it's unlikely that Johnson would be the one to play him - though the mental visual of the former wrestler playing the beloved comedian is certainly fun to envision. The physical differences that Newhart alludes to would no doubt preclude Johnson from playing the comedian in a potential biopic, since Hollywood often takes great pains to cast stars with more likeness to the real-life people they're portraying. There's also costume and makeup to help create some movie magic, as seen recently with both Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody and Taron Egerton as Elton John in Rocketman. But no amount of makeup or costuming would make Johnson resemble Newhart.
Instead, Newhart's comment is a simple joke, and should be taken as such. Even if it might make for some silly fun to imagine a biopic starring Johnson as Newhart, it's unlikely to become reality. Still, given Newhart's storied career, him receiving a biopic - not starring Johnson - isn't out of the realm of possibility.
Source: THR