The role of Janis Joplin in an upcoming biopic has been given to a relatively unknown actor named Nina Arianda. Joplin will begin filming next year and will follow the career of the soulful rock singer, who died of a drug overdose in 1970 at the age of 27.
Arianda may be familiar to some from her supporting role in Woody Allen's recent film Midnight in Paris, or from her Tony-winning turn on Broadway in the comedy Venus in Furs.
By accounts, Arianda's vocal style is eerily similar to that of the late singer. And, since the film is slated to feature many of Joplin's songs, that was an important factor in deciding who would play Joplin.
Previous reports had linked Amy Adams close to signing on, and other actors including Zooey Deschanel and Renée Zellweger have been rumoured to play the singer in various projects, according to Deadline.com.
While we're sure Arianda will do a great job covering Joplin's material, the casting got us thinking about a few singers we think could serve to boost the soundtrack:
1. Pink.
The pop star has a dynamic voice, and can near mimic Joplinesque's whiskey-soaked vocals, as witnessed in the medley above.
2. Joss Stone.
The British soul singer has been compared to Joplin since she debuted in 2001, for similarities in both voice and look.
3. Simone Schmidt (of $100).
Schmidt, the voice of Toronto alt-country act $100 also draws comparisons to the late singer, and although we couldn't find any clips of her covering Joplin, we think she has the chops to pull it off.
A few other musical biopics focusing on the lives of late musicians are currently in the works. Hip-hop star Andre 3000 is set to play Jimi Hendrix, and another Broadway star, Reeve Carney of the new Spider-Man musical, will be playing the late Jeff Buckley.
Do you think the casting agents got Joplin right, or do you think a higher profile actress or musician should have been tapped to play the iconic singer? Let us know in the comments.
Related:
Tom Cruise's top 10 music moments
Jeff Buckley, a retrospective
One Hundred Dollars on CBC Music
posted by
Brad Frenette
on Jul 12, 2012