Ben Whishaw...is the champion?
Actor Ben Whishaw has reportedly stepped in to play legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury after the recent departure of Sacha Baron Cohen. The 33 year-old Skyfall actor has landed the role in the upcoming biopic charting the fame of the 'Bohemian Rhapsody' rocker, The Mail on Sunday claims to have confirmed.
Ben Whishaw Is The Queen Favourite For The Role.
Baron Cohen dropped out over the summer over quarrels with the remaining Queen members regarding the film's plot. Sacha was said to be gunning for a bare-all, gritty portrayal of the singer who died in 1991 whereas the band preferred a more family-friendly storyline that celebrated Queen's music.
Differences could not be settled and Baron Cohen walked out leaving filmmakers and Queen fans wondering who could succeed the actor who seemed so perfect for the part. Different actors' names surfaced and swirled but no frontrunner appeared to emerge until now.
The Mail's Source Apparently Confirms Whishaw Has Landed The Role.
Whishaw landing the role would corroborate with a clue given by Queen drummer Roger Taylor in a television interview last week when he said the new Freddie Mercury actor they'd prefer had the initials "B.W." When asked on BBC's One Show whether this meant Ben Whishaw, Taylor replied "Well, we hope so."
"We didn't want it to be a joke," said Taylor, referring to the contention between the band and the former lead actor. Queen are an influential force in the movie as all are acting as producers with hands-on roles, and according to Brian May, "felt that [Sachas's] presence in the movie would be very distracting."
With His Solid Film Background, Ben Could Be An Excellent Choice.
"We're very protective [of Freddie] and we're known for not hiding away from the truth. There's not going to be any pretense about this. It's going to be something very true - as true as we can make it - but also respectful to Freddie as a performer and as a man," he said.
Ben has proved his talent for acting but can he sing? Do you think Whishaw would be a good fit to play the iconic frontman?
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