Based on over 82 years of history, we all know that the Academy takes to biopics like ducks take to water. This probably explains why close to a dozen films about real people are being promoted for awards consideration this year, an even higher number than usual. Here is a rundown of the real people, the actors who play them, and the films in which they are portrayed…
- Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), a professional boxer, in “The Fighter” (Paramount, 12/10, trailer)
- Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), the CEO of Facebook, in “The Social Network” (Columbia, 10/1, trailer)
- King George VI (Colin Firth), a British monarch, in “The King’s Speech” (The Weinstein Company, 11/26, trailer)
- Aron Ralston (James Franco), an outdoorsman, in “127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight, 11/25, trailer)
- Valerie Plame Wilson (Naomi Watts), an American spy, in “Fair Game” (Summit, 11/5, trailer)
- Penny Chenery (Diane Lane), a horse breeder, in “Secretariat” (Disney, 10/8, trailer)
- Rita O’Grady (Sally Hawkins), a factory employee, in “Made in Dagenham” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/19, trailer)
- Betty Anne Waters (Hilary Swank), a lawyer, in “Conviction” (Fox Searchlight, 10/15, trailer)
- Jack Abramoff (Kevin Spacey), an lobbyist-turned-felon, in “Casino Jack” (ATO Pictures, 12/?, trailer)
- John Lennon (Aaron Johnson), a British rock star, in “Nowhere Boy” (The Weinstein Company, 11/8, trailer)
- Ian Dury (Andy Serkis), a British punk-rock star, in “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll” (Tribeca Films, 5/5, trailer)
- Kathryn Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz), an American police officer in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in “The Whistleblower” (still seeking domestic distribution)
Photo: Mark Wahlberg as Micky Ward in “The Fighter.” Credit: Paramount.