A trucker-hat-wearing d-bag was just cast as Steve Jobs. Seriously! At first I was all, “Jesus, why Ashton Kutcher for Steve Jobs? Is this somebody’s idea of a joke?” And then I went and looked up some photos of the young Jobs. I hate that I can actually see a strong resemblance between Ashton in his 30s and Steve Jobs in his 20s. They could be related. Still, if you’re doing a bio-pic about one of the most beloved/revered businessmen of the past century, do you think Hollywood would have actually thought about this for two seconds and decide to go with an actor with some talent?
Ashton Kutcher is attached to star as Steve Jobs in Jobs, an independent biopic being produced and financed by Five Star Institute’s Mark Hulme.
Wasting no time, Joshua Michael Stern is set to begin principal photography in May while Kutcher is on hiatus from CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men. Kutcher is a natural to play Jobs; the resemblance between the two is unmistakable.
CAA is handling domestic rights to Jobs.
It’s a high-profile assignment for Kutcher, and Jobs looks to get off the ground before Sony pulls together its own Steve Jobs biopic. Last fall, Sony snapped up the film rights to Walter Isaacson’s authorized biography of Jobs that was published within weeks of Jobs’ death on Oct. 5, 2011.
Stern (Swing Vote) will direct Jobs from a script by Matt Whiteley. The film will chronicle Jobs’ meteoric rise from Northern California hippie to co-founder of Apple.
Kutcher, known for comedy, has tried at his hand at drama, including The Butterfly Effect. He also appeared in the ensemble drama Bobby, about the assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in Los Angeles.Hulme appears to be a newcomer to the film financing scene. He’s CEO and founder of Five Star Institute, a Dallas-based mortgage industry group.
Kutcher is represented by CAA and Untitled Entertainment; Stern is represented by CAA and 3Arts.
[From The Hollywood Reporter]
Ugh. I’m just… disappointed. There are about a dozen better actors that could play this part. By the way, does anyone else remember that TV movie in the 1990s about Jobs and Bill Gates? It was called Pirates of Silcon Valley, and Noah Wyle played Jobs, and Anthony Michael Hall played Bill Gates. That was a surprisingly good TV movie – it’s always stuck in my head for some reason. Anyway, I don’t think I’ll be seeing this one. I won’t be seeing it because of Ashton, true, but I also dislike this trend of doing bio-pics two seconds after a man dies.
Archival images of Steve Jobs, Additional photos by Fame/Flynet and WENN.
They look alike when Jobs was young. You can find a better actor with less of a resemblance for the movie. Talent is more important than look-alikes.
Agree completely. All the good biopics go for quality, not appearance – and the audience prefers that too.
I also agree w/ Kaiser that it seems too soon to do a bio pic.
But, on the other hand, there is just something so appealing about the thought of seeing Ashton made up to look like a balding grey haired man (Jobs in his 50s). Apart from that though, no – this casting was probably brought to us by the same people who cast Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor.
Dude, where’s my iPod? It’s never going to work.
Dumbass Kelso is now being type-cast as a computer genius? WTF?
that d bag Kutcher couldn’t hold mr. Jobs’ jockstrap let alone offer a decent portrayal. Kelso just won’t do.
So tired of this Steve Jobs reverence. Yeah, I love my iPhone, too, but Jobs’ being dead doesn’t make him anything less than an asshole alive.
Kutcher might be a dick, but so was Steve jobs. So yeah. The resemblence is there, and if the director thinks he has the chops to headline a major film, then it could be good casting.
co-sign!
how was Jobs an a hole? because he got things done? everyone who ever accomplished anything of significance must be an a hole to you. you must be a HATER.
His poor treatment of people is well-documented. Hey, that might be the way he got things done. But the world’s absolute reverence for him in death, just because he was a good businessman? Please.
And “hater”? What are you, 14? What does that even mean?
This trend of calling people who disagree with an opinion “haters” is terrible. Hate is such a strong word, and differences of opinion are not a bad thing. As well as being a convenient way to dismiss constructive criticism.
As for Jobs, he wasn’t the great wonderful person that everyone wants to make him out to be. I don’t think he was out of the ordinary in the business world, but he WAS passionate about simplicity of design and perfection of such before a product hit the marketplace. I like my apple products, but don’t think he is someone to be admired as much as people seem to want to.
Yeah, I worked in the industry when he was the young Turk and he was not the nicest guy in the world. Not the horrible-est, either, but very ambitious. He had a charisma that drew everyone in, but once there they had to put up with a lot.
Jobs deserves a better actor
i read the big biography on him:Jobs was as genius as difficult,as awfully ambitious as interesting
Yes, Steve Jobs might’ve been an asshole, but he was a crazy genius and a brilliant entrepreneur. Ashton is a trashy, mountain-man-looking cheater. Two thumbs down on this casting choice.
That Noah guy from ER played S.J. in Pirates of Silicon Valley, and I think he did a GREAT job. He’s probably way too old for this part now, too bad…
For me, looking like the person isn’t the most important thing. MW didn’t look much like Marilyn Monroe, but she nailed the part. There are other actors who can play Jobs. Ashton is a mediocre actor and I’m being kind when I say that.
They do look startlingly alike, it’s just that Steve Jobs always radiated intelligence and ambition, and AK radiates stupidity and douche-iness.
whoaaa!
Were the people casting the film smoking a lot of weed that day?
Ethan Hawke, if the casting crew was going for a similar looking actor, but someone who has MATURED, would have been a much better choice. He showed in “Hamlet” that he has the intensity to play Steve Jobs.
I guess Ethan is about 40 now, and he regrets his Uma infidelities-like she’s crying! I always thought he was underrated as an actor.
Ashton has shown us intensity in one particular way that has nothing too do with acting. Douchebag.
I think Ashton’s been funny in some of his roles. I’m not sure he can pull off a more serious role, though. Who knows. Maybe he’ll actually pull it off.
The Butterfly effect was a very good performance for him, IMO, but he seems to have become emotionally stagnant and unable (also IMO) of pulling of a serious role now.
Strange choice, Steve would not be happy. On the other hand, no one wants to talk about the song Ash sung at the CMA? He’s really swinging his dick around these days, with a lot of arrogance. It’s almost like he’s trying to make Demi go completely off the rails, if that’s even possible at this point.
Steve Jobs was my first celebrity crush, and that was back in the days when tech guys were not celebrities. Kutcher is a barely-competent meat puppet with a physical resemblance to the character. He might not suck, but he does not have the depth to triumph in this very intense role. He’s not Kenneth Branagh.
Both Jobs and Kutcher seem to be self-absorbed, maybe Jobs more so. Even if he did do so much for Apple, it doesn’t make it okay to push people around the way that he did. And with Ashton being a cheater and seemingly immature, he’s not on my favored list either. Agreed, not so sure he is a good enough actor to pull this off. I probably will never see it because I don’t have a high regard for the way Jobs treated others.
I like my ipod but I hate this Steve Jobs is my idol crap. Successful or not, don’t be an arsehole
Dude couldn’t act his way out of an Apple Notebook travel case!
Couldn’t they have found less of a douche? There must be at least ONE in Hollywood somewhere. Or on the Big White Way?
They should’ve cast Christian Bale for this role !!!
Wow-that’s genius-I bet Christian has too high a price tag these days!
Why not just cast Nathan Lane? Least he is a good actor. LOL
Or anyone.
Steve Jobs is probably rolling in his grave.
really? steve deserved better.
I hope it BOMBS and then we can be done with this idiotic poser.
And yes, Jobs WAS a major asshole. Fuck him.
Was Steve Jobs really an asshole? I’m just asking out of curiosity (not coming after you) because I don’t know that much about his private self… Lately I’ve been reading comments like this about Steve Jobs elsewhere on the ‘net too saying he wasn’t a nice man. I’m just wondering about what he did or said to warrant that. I googled “S.J. criticism” but I haven’t found anything other than his long time feud with Microsoft. I’m just wondering why people say that or how he warranted it.
Oh Helll NO ! Ughh I was disappointed when they put him in Two and half men and now this ! Can anyone explain to me why he is getting these roles? Seriouslyy ! He can’t act. He acts like Kelso in everything ! Cant wait till his fame dies off !
What a poor choice to play Jobs. Kutcher could fill his entire body, work and his collection of douchebag hats in Jobs’ shoes.