We’re in the midst of another wave of Stephen King adaptations, with The Life of Chuck, ‘Salem’s Lot and The Monkey all out within the past 12 months and The Long Walk and Edgar Wright’s The Running Man set for release this year. And with such a fascinating life and career, King himself might be the subject of a movie himself one day. With that, King wondered who would be the best choice to play him…
Stephen King was recently asked by a fan (as part of a piece in The Guardian) who would be the ideal choice to play him if such a movie were ever made. “I would love to have a good-looking leading man, but I don’t think Brad Pitt would do it. He is a lot better-looking than me. I’m a little bit on the elderly side now, so I’d say maybe Christopher Lloyd or – who’s the guy in Twin Peaks, the main tall guy? Kyle MacLachlan.”
Stephen King does have a lot in his life that could be ripe for the big screen and could make terrific sequences. Consider his wife getting his professional writing career on track by literally pulling Carrie out of the trash. Or his cocaine addiction that wiped memories of writing classics like Cujo. Or being hit by a car, which he subsequently bought and destroyed. And who wouldn’t want to see him zonked out of his mind directing Maximum Overdrive?
As for who could play Stephen King in a hypothetical biopic, MacLachlan isn’t a bad choice at all but I think Bill Hader would make an excellent King. King himself has cameoed in a number of his own adaptations, most recently It Chapter Two, which of course starred Hader.
On the TV side, The Institute – which is based on King’s 2019 novel of the same name – debuted on MGM+ earlier this summer, with the finale set to air later this month. You can read our 6/10 review here.
Who do you see as the best choice to play Stephen King in a biopic? Give us your choice in the comments section below.
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