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Julianne Moore Is… Sarah Palin! Cast the Rest of HBO's Game Change

By James Poniewozik | @poniewozik | March 9, 2011 | +
Take this picture, subtract freckles, add red outfit and/or gun. / HBO

HBO announced today that it has signed Julianne Moore to play then-Alaska-governor Sarah Palin in its coming movie Game Change, a behind the scenes account of the 2008 election that dishes dirt on Republican and Democratic campaigns.* (The film is being directed by Jay Roach, who helmed HBO’s Recount, about the 2000 election’s aftermath.) Should Palin be a candidate for president by the time the film comes out—or, well, even if she isn’t—the movie is likely to be politically scrutinized.

Another burning question: is Moore’s Alaska accent better than the Boston Southie one she put on for 30 Rock? Speaking of which, might she pick up some coaching from Palin-impersonation veteran and 30 Rock producer Tina Fey? And who will fill out the rest of the cast, whose lead characters will presumably (if it hews to the book) include John McCain, Barack Obama, Hillary (and presumably Bill) Clinton and John (and presumably Elizabeth) Edwards?

I welcome your nominations in the comments. But let me kick things off with one of my own. Long before this project was ever announced, I had thought there were certain striking similarities between McCain and Michael Hogan, in his gruff, cranky, salty, battle-scarred portrayal of Col. Tigh on Battlestar Galactica:

It’s a no-brainer, right? Fill out the cast, won’t you? Warning: I believe Fred Armisen is previously committed.

*(Disclosures: The movie is based on the book of the same name by New York magazine’s John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, my colleague at TIME magazine. HBO, like TIME, is owned by Time Warner. Uh, and I voted for Barack Obama. I think that’s all I have for now.)

Related Topics: casting, HBO, julianne moore, politics, sarah palin, Uncategorized

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  • http://dontwanttone.wordpress.com scoobbb

    Casting:
    John McCain: William H. Macy
    Barack Obama: Don Cheadle
    Hillary Clinton: Nina Hartley
    Bill Clinton: Burt Reynolds
    John Edwards: Mark Wahlberg
    Elizabeth Edwards: Philip Seymour Hoffman
    John Edwards’ girlfriend: Heather Graham

    Yes, these people were all in the cast of Boogie Nights. Seems like a good fit.

  • mjwilstein

    I expect Julianne Moore’s Sarah Palin impression to be as over-the-top as her Boston accent on 30 Rock: http://gtcha.me/eIzCp3

  • The Hoobie

    Dude, what did Elizabeth Edwards ever do to you that you’d cast her with a man, much less P.S. Hoffmann?

  • http://dontwanttone.wordpress.com scoobbb

    To The Hoobie:

    Well, Julianne inspired my Boogies Nights theme (I thought of Don Cheadle as being a good Obama, recognized the Boogie Nights connection with Julianne and went from there), and under my self-imposed restrictions, it was either a porn star or Philip for that role (Heather Graham seems like a natural to play Rielle Hunter – much more beautiful than Rielle but that’s Hollywood for you – so she was out). And, really, there is some resemblance between PSH and Elizabeth. PSH is a great actor so I’m sure he could pull it off. If you’ve read Game Change, you know Elizabeth had some issues that went beyond cancer and a weaselly husband, and PSH could capture her essence like few others could.

  • powerpoultry

    ‘Game Change’, by Heilemann, Halperin, & Halitosis, is a gossipy piece of trash; Julianne Moore isn’t nearly attractive enough to portray gorgeous Gov. Sarah Palin; and the film, showing on horrible HBO, is directed by a Roach. Verdict: Flop.

  • The Hoobie

    Haven’t read the book (alas, for the past 5-odd years, if a book’s author’s last name isn’t Seuss, Viorst, or Boynton, I probably haven’t read it), but I have heard it’s, um, kind of mean to women. And I think of Mark Halperin primarily for his head-scratchingly confident predictions of stuff that turned out to be really wrong. (I remember personally that Halperin said McCain “won the week” when he suspended his campaign in Sept. 2008, and that he said Obama “lost” some weeks that turned out to be, ahem, “game changers” for him.)

    But!

    *Yes, yes, motherfrakkin’ YES on Michael Hogan as John McCain!! So say we all! Hogan’s a little taller and balder than McCain, but I’m sure he can stoop and comb over, heh. (Aw, I miss Battlestar.)

    *Will Smith as Barack Obama, of course.

    *Assuming Amy Poehler can’t do it, Arija Bareikis gets my vote for Hillary Clinton. (Haven’t seen Southland—mostly ’cause it sounds more intense/devastating than I can manage right now—but I have a lot of goodwill for Ms. Bareikis from, of all things, Crossing Jordan, as well as an episode she did of Without a Trace. She deserves bigger and better than, say, Deuce Bigalow, that’s for sure.) If not her, then maybe Amy Ryan.

    *I think Jeanne Tripplehorn could do a great job as Elizabeth Edwards.

    (Sorry for all the links here you’ll have to click through, J-Po. I’ve tried, but it’s so hard not to include links as backup. It’s my commenting nature!)

  • ipfletch

    “Gorgeous” Sarah Palin? Dude, she’s okay-looking for somebody her age that’s had a few kids, that’s pretty much it. Julianne Moore is a serious upgrade.

  • http://thomaschi.wordpress.com thomaschi

    Hollywood is thinking, they are using Moore.

    Julianne Moore will ruin Sarah Palin.

    Thomas Chi
    Author
    Selling Sex with Sarah Palin
    PresidentSarah.Net

  • textee

    No offense to unattractive, out of shape, America hating, eighty-five year old women, but why did Saturday Night Live and HBO turn to unattractive, out of shape, America hating, eighty-five year old women (i.e., Tina Fey and Julianne Moore) to play the part of an attractive, in shape, America loving, forty-five year old woman (i.e., Sarah Palin)?

    Are there no female (or even male) actors who aren’t unattractive, red-eyed, frothing at the mouth, hysterical, militant, virulent, America hating, eighty-five year old feminists?

  • babyjin

    I have thought for a long time that John McCain should be played by Joyce Bulifant, who played Murray’s wife on Mary Tyler Moore. She was on Just Shoot Me about 10 years ago, and I think she is a dead ringer for McCain. She looks and even kind of talks like him. (I think this is more of a knock on him than her, because she doesn’t look or sound the slightest bit manly.) Do a Google image search and tell me I’m wrong.

  • paulmdoro

    I have to agree that Game Change is gossipy trash. It was like reading Gawker or US Weekly. Lots of anonymous sources. Also, because of our 24/7 media, anyone who paid the slightest attention to the 2008 election would have already known just about every tidbit in the book. It’s an easy read, but it’s like reality TV or a summer movie, nothing substantive.

  • http://dianaparadis.wordpress.com Diana

    Oh, textee, so few boards, so little time to troll ….

  • http://dianaparadis.wordpress.com Diana

    Matt Frewer would be a great John McCain.

    Casting Barack Obama will probably be hardest.

  • shootthecritic

    I’m completely in agreement about Michael Hogan playing Caine. Aren’t they the same person? Really, the likeness is crazy and Mr. Hogan is a wonderfully fun actor.

    Julianne Moore is a fine choice for Palin. They both have that tight-faced, conservative thing going. Ms. Moore is a great actress and she’ll pull it off well.

    The others? Obama should be played by a relatively unknown actor. Well, sadly, most African American actors are “relatively unknown”. I really can’t think of one that looks like him or could easily carry his mannerisms (although Denzel, being the amazing actor he is, could do great things with the “character”). This role could make that person a star, however. And we are in serious need of more non-White stars.

    Let’s get Emma Thompson back for Hillary!

    Shows like The Wire and Flashfoward get great actors to play White House and government people. I’m sure we’ll see some familiar faces from them. I look forward to the final casting decisions.

    - Shoot the Critic, http://shootthecritic.com

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