The iconic casting Oliver Stone called a “gamble”
In the realm of historical filmmaking, Oliver Stone stands proudly as one of its titanic figures, having delivered several masterpiece movies that dive unflinchingly into the complicated moments of our past. Stone’s works often invite audiences to reassess the pivotal pieces of human history, such is his prowess as a narrative filmmaker.
From the brutality of the Vietnam War in Platoon to the provocative and sensitive nature of JFK and the assassination of John F. Kennedy onto the humanity of Nixon, Stone had found the deeper meaning behind some of the most significant pieces of history and illuminates what might have happened then, thus exposing the impact on the present.
When it came to 1995’s Nixon, Stone was faced with the task of finding the right actor to play the former U.S. President Richard Nixon, and when it was announced that Welshman Anthony Hopkins would be taking on the role, it’s fair to say that more than a few eyebrows were raised across the film industry.
The studios involved with the production were not keen on Hopkins and had suggested Tom Hanks or Jack Nicholson, while Stone thought about offering Gene Hackman, Gary Oldman or Tommy Lee Jones the role. However, the director had a feeling about Hopkins that he could not escape from.
“This is an instinct, and you gamble,” Stone had once told Roger Ebert of his brave casting decision. “You gamble millions of dollars, and you go with your gut.” Stone had been impressed by Hopkins in Remains of the Day and found that his “isolation” and “melancholic” emotive acting style could be perfect for what he was trying to achieve in Nixon.
“He comes with a full character,” Stone said. “He can bring out the warmth when he has to.” In addition, Stone was aware of Hopkins’ experience in the theatre, where he had to “handle huge amounts of dialogue”. In playing characters like King Lear, or “mad men and rulers”, as Stone put it, Hopkins would be able to play Nixon and not be “intimidated by the material.”
In addition, Stone found a poetic quality to the “lilt of [Hopkins’] voice. “He was able to bridge the gap between the accents, and we gave him just enough of Nixon,” Stone said before pointing out the physical transformation the actor had to undertake in order to portray the former U.S. President.
“We gave him some teeth, some eyes and some hair,” Stone said. “At first, we did makeup tests for weeks and weeks and weeks.” However, the result was that Hopkins looked like “the Elephant Man”, according to Stone, so he decided to pare back on the makeup and “go with the basics”, seeing as Hopkins was able to convey the personality of Nixon.
According to Hopkins, Stone had indeed given him the part of Nixon after reading interviews in which the actor claimed to be something of a “loner”. What followed was a true tour de force of acting in which Hopkins portrayed the inner turmoil and moral complexities of one of the United States’ most controversial Presidents.
With a fearsome dedication to capturing the intricacies of Nixon’s movement and speech patterns, Hopkins truly embodies the historical figure, bringing him to the heights of Shakespearean tragedy. The “gamble” that Stone took in casting Hopkins in the role was more than paid off.
Check out the trailer for Nixon below.
