Biopics are feature films that revolve around the story of a significant real-life figure in history. Biopics have become a more popular subgenre recently as more and more important figures have retired or passed away. One of the most popular biopics are movies about music icons, from Rocketman telling Sir Elton John’s story to, most recently, the Aretha Franklin biopic starring Jennifer Hudson, Respect. Respect, in particular, was praised for its overall accuracy, including special praise from Aretha Franklin’s surviving family.
Another popular subgenre is the sports biopic. Throughout film history, there have been numerous sports biopics, from Chariots of Fire and Raging Bull to recent ones like I, Tonya and last year’s King Richard. Indeed, some of the most prominent figures in history have been athletes. Whether it’s Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps, athletes make an undeniable influence on the public, either through philanthropic means or precisely because of how inspirational their personal stories and accomplishments have been. That said, there are many athletes whose stories deserve to be told on the big screen. Here are six who deserve their own biopic (and the actors we think should play them).
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
6 Gertrude Ederle
National Portrait Gallery / Smithsonian
The first woman to swim the English channel was Gertrude Ederle. Beating every record before her, Ederle marked history for women everywhere. While she may not have had as many accomplishments as some of the other athletes on this list, Ederle’s success made a huge impact on the world. She first rose to fame in the 1920s when women had to fight to swim without stockings. She trained hard for 10 years and finally made her way to swim the 35 miles of the English Channel in 14.5 hours. Her hard work earned her the nickname of “America’s Best Girl” from President Calvin Coolidge. While a film has been in the works to tell Trudy’s story, little details have been made concrete about its production or release date. While Lily James was originally lined up to play the part of Gertrude Ederle in Young Woman and The Sea, it is now stated, per Game Rant, that Daisy Ridley will play the part. This project has been in the works for many years as it is a story that desperately needs to be told.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
5 Sugar Ray Robinson
Getty Images
Considered the G.O.A.T in boxin, Sugar Ray Robinson had a ground-breaking record of 128-1-2. Robinson became one of the first Black athletes to establish himself outside of his athletics, becoming an embodiment of Black masculinity. Robinson basically invented the sports entourage and famously drove an obnoxious pink Cadillac, but his fortune did not last. Robinson retired broke, spending his lifetime earnings while struggling to find a new career to support himself. On top of his late-life struggles with diabetes and Alzheimer’s, the boxer never was able to return to his former glory and died in poverty in 1989. Robinson’s story deserves to be told and who better to play the boxer than Michael B. Jordan, who is currently training and filming Creed III and is no stranger to the boxing world.
4 Alice Marble
Associated Press
Wimbledon champion at the beginning of the 20th century, Alice Marble made the cover of TIME magazine as the Associated Press Athlete of the Year. When WWII broke out, Marble’s focus moved away from Wimbledon and instead turned towards comic books, specifically being the creator of the Wonder Women comic series, showcasing important women in history. Marble was not without suffering as she experienced a miscarriage and lost her husband to the War, after which she attempted suicide. During her recovery, she was approached to become a spy on former lover Hans Steinmetz who had stolen art for the Nazis. Unfortunately, Marble’s efforts came to naught as her American contact was a double agent who shot her in the back. After her recovery, she returned to tennis, especially keen on ending racial segregation in tennis, allowing Althea Gibson to compete. The perfect actor to take on this part would be Jessica Chastain, who has proven adept in the spy film genre and playing real people, having recently won an Oscar for Best Actress playing Tammy Faye in The Eyes of Tammy Faye.
3 Ted Williams
HBO Sports
Ted Williams AKA the Splendid Splinter was a baseball legend. Williams enlisted as a Marine pilot after a Triple Crown year. While awaiting orders to join fighting in the Pacific, WWII came to an abrupt end. After three seasons away from the diamond, Williams returned as a part of the Red Sox and picked up another Triple Crown, numerous MVP awards, and an All-Star Game appearance in the next six seasons at which point he was called out to serve in the Korean War, flying 39 combat missions, becoming a decorated soldier. After his service, he returned to baseball and performed as an All-Star. On top of this, Williams was often fined for obscene remarks and gestures on the diamond and was even deprived of the MVP award one year because of his behavior. One interesting aspect of this athlete’s life was that after his death, he was decapitated by surgeons and had his body cryogenically frozen. Needless to say, Williams’ story would make for an intriguing biopic with Jeffrey Dean Morgan starring as Williams.
2 Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Tony Duffy
Retired track and field athlete Jacqueline Joyner-Kersee is considered one of the greatest heptathlon and long jump athletes of all time. Participating in four Olympics and winning six medals, Kersee is considered the greatest female athlete of the 20th Century. Growing up in East St.Louis, Kersee was met with a great deal of adversity, including many deaths within her family, but found solace in academics and sports. She broke many records and even managed to evade the drug scandals that plagued the Olympic track and field athletes during the 1980s, while also being one of the first professional athletes with asthma. A Jackie Joyner-Kersee biopic would be a great addition to the genre, featuring a strong Black female lead who could potentially be played by rising star Keke Palmer.
1 Bill Walton
Bill Walton’s story is one that is not easily forgotten. In his early years, Walton was a UCLA undergrad who hung out with radicals opposing the Vietnam war at the time and would often participate in sit-ins. Walton became an NBA champion who led the Trail Blazers to victory in 1976-77. After a long series of injuries, Walton missed a number of games before making a comeback and taking home the title of Sixth Man of the Year. Walton suffered from a stutter all his life, but despite this, he still became a broadcaster for close to 20 years, not to mention the unbearable back pain that led him to consider suicide on a number of occasions. Bill Walton’s story has much to offer for a potential biopic with Michael Fassbender taking on the role.
