... Chadwick Boseman!
Beaks here with some very cool news on BNAT eve. According to Variety, Brian Helgeland's 42 now has a Jackie Robinson to possibly go with Harrison Ford's Branch Rickey (that's just a casting rumor at the moment). And rather than go with an established name, Helgeland has elected to cast a journeyman TV actor named Chadwick Boseman.
I love this. It's rare that a major studio takes a gamble on an unkown actor for a film that will, in all likelihood, be a significant awards contender. I know lots of hard-working actors who spend their weeks auditioning, hoping for that big break, but often settling for a day-player role on an episode of CRIMINAL MINDS or NCIS: LOS ANGELES. Boseman must be absolutely elated that he'll be playing perhaps the most important sports icon of the twentieth century potentially opposite one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. I wish this happened more often.
As you probably know, Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball's "color barrier" in 1947 when he signed a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Branch Rickey was the Dodgers executive who staked his career and reputation on integrating America's pastime. Honestly, I'm not 100% sold on Ford as Rickey, but Helgeland needs a high-profile actor to get this film before cameras. If Ford gets him there, why not?
