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The Beat Goes Round and Round: 6 Actors Better Suited to Rock It Out Than Tom Hardy

By Cindy Davis | Lists | June 3, 2013 |

By Cindy Davis | Lists | June 3, 2013 |


Last week, news broke that Tom Hardy might be up for the lead role in Rocketman, an upcoming Elton John biopic—I’m just not sure about this. Don’t get me wrong; Hardy is a fantastic actor, but my brain is having a very hard time reconciling him as Sir Reginald. I’ve gone through image after image trying to find some physical likeness, and the best I can come up with is that they generally have a similar head shape? Hardy is certainly beefier (and beefcakier) than Elton. I’m not saying it can’t work, but I do believe I’ve found some better actor-musician combinations:


6. Adam Driver as Dave Grohl.

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The up and coming “Girls” actor has Grohl’s look in his favor, and according to his Wiki page he can sing (though the referring link doesn’t actually provide evidence, Driver did some kind of duet with Justin Timberlake for Inside Llewyn Davis). Either way, judging from his acting performances, Driver has the right skills to take on a young garage bander turned superstar.


5. David Morrissey as…(wait for it) Morrissey.

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Freaky, huh? An accomplished Shakespearean and theater actor, I’ve no doubt DM has the chops to pull off a Morrissey biopic—he can sing, though he may have to work on range. Unfortunately, because of his age he’d have to take on Moz: The Later Years.

Apropos of something


4. Bruno Mars as Prince.

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Yes, technically Mars isn’t an actor, but I’ll be damned if he didn’t display great chops on “Saturday Night Live,” and I’m ready to take bets on how quickly he ends up in a film. And yes, he could also easily play MJ, but the gloved one has been done to death (er, sorry?) already. I can’t think of anyone better suited to don the purple and strut.


3. Chris Pratt as Robert Plant.

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I’m sure it’s entirely inappropriate to pat myself on the back here, but this could really work—couldn’t it? I mean, check out the intensity:

Come on Soderbergh, this could be your comeback film!

2. Aaron Paul as Eminem.

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There are times on “Breaking Bad” when Jesse Pinkman practically speaks in rap, and damned if Paul isn’t a dead ringer for Em. The thirty-three year old Paul could easily pass for ten years younger, and with his series ending already filmed, the time is ripe for him to head up a film.


1. John Simm as Thom Yorke.

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Not only is Simm a dead ringer for Yorke, he can also sing—and has been doing so since he was about twelve. He started out with his musician father, then formed his own band, “Magic Alex;” after starring as Bernard Sumner in 24 Hour Party People, the Master even sang with New Order onstage.


Now whether or not he’s hiding a killer falsetto, I cannot answer.

Let me just try this one more time…

Elton John:

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Tom Hardy:

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Nah, I don’t think so.

Cindy Davis, (Twitter) would rather see Tom Hardy than hear him.