I love a good biographical film. I've read a few great reviews by fellow spill members about the Notorious movie and I cant wait to see it and from what I can gather, like the actor playing B.I.G is great and really embraces B.I.G's personality as well as looks.

Making a biographical film is easy for a hollywood actor(ess). Get a similar haircut, have the accent on lockdown and put on or lose a few kilos - and let the makeup and wig do the rest. Then there are those films and actors that go to extreme lengths to mimic a real life person. These actors - who, if you were to stand them next to the real thing - you couldn't tell apart. They look, eat, walk, and breath like the real people they are trying to depict. Here are few of my favourite actors - in no particular order - that have given extravagant performances in as equally great biographical films.



ALI

We all know how good an actor Will Smith is, and yeah....to me, this film wasn't all that. But Will went all the way to portray the great Muhammed Ali. He gained an impressive amount of weight to match Ali's physique and spent whole year learning to be like Ali, from boxing training, dialect coaching and Islamic studies. I wouldn't say Identical but definitely did an extreme job to portray the G.O.A.T

Here's Will....

Here's the real deal

Raging Bull

Very few can argue that this film is cult classic. Like Will in Ali, Robert De Niro plays a well known boxer and won best actor for his role as Jake Lamotta.

De Niro as Jake Lamotta....

..and here's Jake Lamotta himself

Ned Kelly

For those who don't know much about Australian (Aussies, correct me if im wrong) Ned Kelly was a bush ranger and somewhat a folk hero for defying police in the mid-80's. As a Kiwi I learned about Kelly at school, and was eager to see how he would be portrayed by the late Heath Ledger in which he didn't fail to deliver.

Here's Heath being an outlaw...

Here's Ned Kelly The Outlaw...

Monster

This film blew me away! I knew nothing about the Eileen Wuornos' case until I saw this, and I am so glad that Charlize Theron won best Actress....I mean seriously - from South African Diamond to this??

She was outstanding!! My personal favourite biographical film.


Ray

A few actors can embrace the singing sensation of a musical icon. Your not a boxer where you learn fighting routines and drink protein shakes. You have to know what chords to play, how to sound, and the actions of the musician during a performance. Jamie Foxx nailed his role as Ray Charles so much, that when I first watched it I swear I thought that Ray himself had a few cameo scenes. Epic film!

Here's Jamie Foxx playing Ray....

..and here's Ray Charles playing the piano

There are alot of other biographical films with actors that were oscar worthy: Man on the moon with Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman, Erin Brokovich starring Julia Roberts, Walk the Line with Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash and I yet have to see Capote in which Phillip Seymour Hoffman won Best Actor.

I'll be looking forward to Notorious when it hits here shortly, and I cant wait to see how Robert Downey Jr plays Sherlock Holmes. Should be very interesting :P Im a sucker for good biopics and great method acting!!