Julianne Moore cast as Sarah Palin in new HBO movie: good casting?

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I enjoy politics as a spectator, much as I enjoy celebrity gossip. I used to be much more political, and as the presidential election gears up later this year, I’m sure I’ll be hanging on every manufactured drama. That’s what I like about politics – the real-time drama, the pettiness, the confusion, the battling soundbytes, the scandals, all of the stuff that Washington has in common with Hollywood. I love the drama of it. What I don’t love, however, is “Hollywood versions” of actual political events, although I do make exceptions. For every All The President’s Men, there are five JFKs (Oliver Stone version) and Primary Colors (which, true, was a “fictionalized” story about the Clintons).

What I’m trying to say: it’s too early and too unnecessary to make a movie about the 2008 election. It’s still fresh in people’s minds – we don’t need to see the “Hollywood version” of what happened. But we’re getting it anyway. HBO is turning Mark Halperin and John Heilemann’s bestselling book, Game Change, into what I’m guessing will be a miniseries, not just a TV movie. And they’ve already got the Sarah Palin character cast! It’s Julianne Moore. Ugh.

Julianne Moore is getting fit for claws — she’s about to play Sarah Palin, the Mama Grizzly herself. HBO Films announced on Wednesday that the actress will take on the role of Sarah Palin in its film adaptation of the 2008 election tell all book, “Game Change,” written by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. Moore is the first member of the cast, which will feature screen versions of the top players in the election, such as Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain.

The book spilled deep, sometimes damaging secrets and quotes from the high-tension campaign trail, including Obama and then-running mate Joe Biden’s distant relationship, the Clintons’ original distaste for Obama and the fallout from McCain’s choice of Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate.

In one such story, McCain adviser Steve Schmidt was quoted telling Palin’s foreign policy advisers that, after testing the candidate before a debate, “You guys have a lot of work to do. She doesn’t know anything.”

It will take quite an acting job for Moore to play the role — she’s an outspoken liberal, and backed Obama during the election.

[From Huffington Post]

It’s being done by the same team who did HBO’s Emmy-winning TV movie Recount, about the 2000 election debacle in Florida. So – at least it’s not being done by hacks, I guess. It’s still too soon. And I’m worried that Kevin Spacey is going to end up cast as John McCain, and everything will be a hot mess. I mean, who would seriously play McCain? They’ll probably go British, don’t you think? Tom Wilkinson, maybe. OOOooh, or Paul Giamatti! Giamatti might be able to pull off McCain really well! And don’t even get me started on who should play the Dems. I can’t imagine casting for Obama will be easy. Hilary Clinton might be easier, though. Maybe they could even get Emma Thompson to do it again.

But seriously, ginger liberal Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin? That must be constructing one incredible Palin wig. Eh. They should have gone with Megan Mullally.

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Photos courtesy of WENN.

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24 Responses to “Julianne Moore cast as Sarah Palin in new HBO movie: good casting?”

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  1. Eve says:

    I guess they’re not choosing Tina Fey because we would be laughing through the entire thing.

  2. Oi says:

    Ya know, SP is not this important. What does she do now anyway? Reality TV? HBO is doing this for controversy. Not interested, and when I first heard it I was hoping Julianna Moore was above it. Any news on the rest of the cast?

  3. Scarlet Vixen says:

    This post only reminds me of what a friggin hot mess that velvet dress was.

  4. OtherChris says:

    She’s way too pretty to play SP. Under all that hair and makeup, SP is really not all that attractive.

  5. Reality says:

    Ug. I love Julianne, but I’m still trying to get over her horrible Bahston accent on 30 Rock.

  6. Happymom says:

    “Game Change” is a great book. But SP was not a particularly huge part of it. She just came across sort of vague and clueless-but in terms of major drama: that was between the Obama team and the Clintons.

  7. Someone Else says:

    Moore’s (Maude!) an awesome actress. She can totally pull this off. With the right hair and makeup, she will actually look quite a bit like her. Their bone structures are very similar.

    As long as they show Self Promotion, I mean, Sarah Palin for the viper that she is.

    Spawn of Satan, that one.

  8. DoMaJoReMc says:

    UM….NO!

  9. Nanea says:

    Who would watch this?

    While JM is a good actress, I don’t get why she would want take this part.

    But maybe she reconsiders – and quits, just like the real-life quitter.

  10. Mia135 says:

    I think Moore could do it. She does have a way of taking over her characters completely so you forget that it’s her on screen.

  11. Melanie says:

    Eve: “I guess they’re not choosing Tina Fey because we would be laughing through the entire thing.”

    I have a feeling we will be laughing anyway because Palin is a joke.
    Someone else: “Moore’s (Maude!) an awesome actress.”
    I love a Big Leboski reference in the morning!

  12. Eve says:

    I have a feeling we will be laughing anyway because Palin is a joke.

    @ Melanie:

    I have that feeling too…but a serious actress like Moore shows they’re at least taking the role of Palin seriously (??!?). Speaking of Palin being a waking joke, sometimes I check those videos on Youtube — the one where she can’t name a single newspaper that she reads (and she’s graduated in Social Comunications, right?), or that one where she doesn’t seem to know what the word “doctrine” means…and the (already a classic) one where Fey didn’t have to change a word to make it sound ridiculous. It’s frightening to realize that woman was close to be in the second highest executive position for the world’s most powerful nation (I swear I had a spine-chilling fear whenever I considered the possibility).

  13. sassenach says:

    Julianne Moore is a wonderful actress but she has been taking some terrible parts lately. I know that at her age she may not get offered the roles that she would like but this doesn’t make sense. Isn’t her husband a director and a writer? Can they not start a production company that can produce some small indie good roles for her?

  14. lucy2 says:

    I think JM would do a good job, she’s very talented. But I agree it’s too soon for this movie, and I’m not sure we need a movie at all, considering you couldn’t escape all the media during the 08 campaign.

  15. Kate says:

    Happymom — You nailed it. Game Change is a fantastic read, not because of the McCain/Palin stuff but the Clinton/Obama interplay and, to a lesser extent, Edwards. The drama was in the dem. primary and that would make for WONDERFUL television if done well, as HBO typically does. The continued fascination with Palin truly is befuddling — from both sides.

  16. aenflex says:

    No. Shoulda used Fey.

  17. original kate says:

    “What does she do now anyway? Reality TV?”

    @ oi: her alaska show was cancelled, so the last i heard she was unemployed. the weird thing is she keeps quitting things to supposedly spend more time with her family but then she won’t go away. can i sue her for breach of promise?

  18. serena says:

    I totally hate Sarah Palin, and on the other hand I love Julianna Moore so I hate the pair and it’s a pity she accepted.

  19. sandy says:

    @ Serena i feel exactly the same way, totally agree, hate palin, love Julianna Moore.

  20. The Bobster says:

    Tina! Tina! Tina!

  21. ordinarygirl86 says:

    Palin should be flattered because Julianne is much prettier then she is! I agree Megan Mullally would have been a better choice looks wise or maybe Mary Louise Parker?

  22. harfang says:

    Eh, she can pull it off. I love her and look forward to this.

  23. jewelia says:

    She is too good.

  24. April Meeks says:

    Thanks for the article post.Thanks Again. Much obliged.