Five More Actors Martin Scorsese Should Consider for His Frank Sinatra Biopic

It’s hard to keep up with the seemingly endless films Martin Scorsese has brewing (a George Harrison documentary, a Mafia flick dubbed The Irishman and a 3D kids movie, The Invention of Hugo Cabret), but, for more than a year now, our favorite living director has also been piecing together a biopic on romanticized singer/actor Frank Sinatra.

One might expect the film, dubbed Sinatra, to be a glamorous glimpse at the man’s life; a feel-good movie about winning Oscars, singing swing ballads and rolling with Hollywood’s Rat Pack. But the man who brought the violent fury of Jake LaMotta to the silver screen is having none of that. According to The First Post, Scorsese’s depiction of Ol’ Blue Eyes will take a surprisingly “dark direction,” focusing on the late entertainer’s alleged ties to the Mafia.

Renowned actors like Al Pacino, Leonardo DiCaprio (a staple in much of Scorsese’s recent work), George Clooney and Johnny Depp have been rumored to be starring in the film. And, for a while, even Jamie Foxx was vying for the role. Scorsese has indicated that he prefers Al Pacino to play the late Sinatra, but there is a possibility that more than one actor will be cast as the Italian-American balladeer. While we wait to see whether or not we have a Sinatra rendition of I’m Not There on our hands, we’ve come up with five additional actors we think would fit the part.

James Marsden
He was once a contender for the lead role in the still-in-development Jeff Buckley biopic, Mystery White Boy, but before that, his performance in the Adam Shankman adaptation of the Broadway musical Hairspray proved he is more than capable of carrying a tune and bringing impressive levels of charisma to the silver screen. Currently wrapping up the filming of Rod Lurie’s Straw Dogs remake, Marsden should be ready to move on to his next big thing as soon as Scorsese casts his Sinatra crew.

Alec Baldwin
Baldwin probably isn’t the first name that pops into your head when picturing the ideal Sinatra persona, but if he dropped a few pounds and brought some of that Jack Donaghy swagger to the table, he might give the role that extra oomph it so desperately needs. Even though he announced his retirement from acting last year, he may still have time to squeeze in another performance that would send him out with a bang.

Adam Scott
You might know him as Boy Meets World’s Griff Hawkins or Josh Macon from Party of Five, but, more recently, Scott has been recognized for playing the best straight-man on TV as a main character in the Starz comedy series Party Down. Even though his Henry Pollard role might be cut short as he becomes a regular on NBC’s Parks and Recreation, Scott’s impressive acting chops are proving worthy of leading roles in both film and television. And there’s something about his signature singularly-raised eyebrow and snarky demeanor that seem more than fitting for a 30-something Sinatra.

Ewan McGregor
In addition to his years of experience playing leading roles in musicals, McGregor has the big, billowing, easy-to-cover Sinatra voice that would make his portrayal of Ol’ Blue Eyes especially convincing. He stole the show as the earnest, lovesick Christian in Moulin Rouge! and was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for his performance in the Donmar Warehouse production of Guys and Dolls in 2005. How much swooning would there be after a McGregor rendition of “Come Fly With Me”? Perhaps too much. But isn’t that exactly how it should be?

Emile Hirsch
Perfect for the coming-of-age Sinatra, Hirsch and his more sophisticated role choices as of late are signs of his rising prominence in the acting world. In the last four years he has starred in Sean Penn’s film adaptation of Into the Wild, played gay-rights activist Cleve Jones in Gus Van Sant’s Milk, had a supporting role in Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock and started filming a modern-day remake of Hamlet with Twilight ’s Catherine Hardwicke.