Playing an icon must be difficult for any actor, but how much more difficult would it be if that icon is still alive? That’s the challenge facing Miles Teller, who is now in talks to play Saturday Night Live funnyman Dan Aykroyd in the upcoming John Belushi biopic.
Emile Hirsch revealed Teller’s potential involvement in the Belushi biopic during a party for the Creative Coalition on Saturday, which Teller also attended. For those who don’t know, Hirsch has long been attached to play the role of John Belushi in the film, which is based on the biography Belushi (by the comedian’s widow Judith Belushi Pisano). Belushi and Aykroyd were longtime friends and comedic collaborators, best known for their stint on the first (and best) seasons of Saturday Night Live, as well as their performances as Jake and Elwood Blues of The Blues Brothers fame.
Miles Teller is not yet committed to the part of Aykroyd, though. His reps claim that it will not be a done deal until after the actor has completed his publicity rounds for the upcoming comedy That Awkward Moment. Still, with Hirsch apparently quite excited about the part, and the role being a pretty big one for any young actor, there’s a high likelihood that we will hear of Teller’s casting in the not so-distant future.
How the Belushi biopic will pan out is anyone’s guess, given that most of the key players (except one) are still living. The comedian can be a polarizing figure as well. He was brilliant at what he did but he also had a complex personal life and a tragic death. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty writer Steve Conrad is directing the film, which might bode well for an intelligent treatment of the central figure. Only time will tell though.
Tell us, what do you think about the prospect of Emile Hirsch and Miles Teller taking on the respective roles of Belushi and Aykroyd? Let us know in the comments.
