After Sacha Baron Cohen stepped down from the Freddie Mercury biopic, the search was on for a suitable replacement. While Cohen didn’t physically match Mercury, he is a chameleon and an adept singer, so it wasn’t a stretch to see him in the role. However, if The Daily Star is to be believed, producers on the long in development biopic have found someone morwe to their liking in Daniel Radcliffe.
Radcliffe has been building quite the diverse resume post-HARRY POTTER with roles in THE WOMAN IN BLACK and the upcoming KILL YOUR DARLINGS, THE F-WORD, and HORNS. If those films share one thing in common it is that they are drastically different from one another. Radcliffe is doing everything he can to stretch his talents as a performer and it shows his dedication to acting that he doesn’t discriminate on how far he will go for any role.
The Daily Star’s source had this to say about Radcliffe in the role:
“Despite his youth, Daniel impressed movie bosses with his portrayal of gay poet Allen Ginsburg in this year’s movie KILL YOUR DARLINGS. Plus, he’s closer in height to Freddie than Sacha, who’s much taller. Daniel can really sing, too.”
Daniel Radcliffe is an open supporter of gay and lesbian rights and has endured rumors that he himself is gay, which he has denied in the past but chooses not to address directly with the media. He has a gay sex scene in KILL YOUR DARLINGS, so there wouldn’t be a question to how far the film could go in exploring Mercury’s personal life. Cohen left the film after producers would not agree to show the more flamboyant side of Mercury’s life, so maybe this will be a watered down portrait of the famed Queen frontman.
Whatever the case, I have no problem with this casting change. Either actor taking on a challenging role intrigues me, so hopefully the project comes to fruition this time.