Will Smith stars as Chris Gardner, a salesman who is homeless, and down on his luck. But that all changes when he worked his way up in the world of sales. Gardner published an autobiography detailing his experiences in 2006, and ultimately became a producer on the film later that same year.
Initially, Gardner wasn’t happy with the casting choice when it came to portraying his own life, but his daughter felt differently, saying, “if Smith can play Muhammad Ali, he can play you!” And that he did, winning a number of awards and been nominated for several more for his performance.
Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
Alec Baldwin, Whoopi Goldberg, and James Woods star in this 1996 biographical drama that tells the story of Medgar Evers, an African American civil rights activist who was murdered by a white supremacist in 1963. The film follows the Evers family’s fight for justice, which is a long and hard road.
The film takes place mainly in the courtroom, which dives into the scenes of two trials, both of which ended and hung juries. It wasn’t until 1994 that the murderer, Byron De La Beckwith, was finally brought to justice, giving closure to Evers’ widow.
Beyond the Sea (2004)
Kevin Spacey plays singer-actor, Bobby Darin, based on the entertainer's rise to success in the midst of Hollywood’s Golden age. Preproduction work on the film began in the 1980s, when Barry Levinson initially intended to direct the film himself. Those several years later, Spacey picked it up and completed the project with the help of Darin’s son, Dodd.
The film opened to mixed reviews, holding just a 42% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 46/100 on Metacritic. Roger Ebert said, “Kevin Spacey believes he was born to play Bobby Darin, I believe he was born to play more interesting characters.”
Foxcatcher (2014)
Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, and Steve Carell start in and this 2014 sports crime drama that centers around a deranged and wealthy wrestling superfan, John E. Du Pont (Carell,) who starts his own team in the ‘80s, with the help of naïve up-and-coming wrestler Mark Schultz (Tatum.) Du Pont was an ornithologist, philatelist, conchologist, and sports enthusiast who was convicted for murdering Schulz. He sentence was 30 years and he died in prison.
The film has an 87% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with all of the star’s performances being praised. Carell and Ruffalo were nominated for Academy Awards for their work, and Bennett Miller was up for Best Director.
The Greatest Showman (2017)
Hugh Jackman plays the role of P.T. Barnum in this 2017 musical produced with a budget of nearly $85 million. The film follows the man behind one of the largest old-world circuses, Barnum & Bailey. Zack Efron, Michelle Williams, and Zendaya also appear in the biographical drama. Barnum was an American showman, politician, and businessman and rose to prominence for his celebrated hoaxes and the founding of the Barnum & Bailey Circus.
The Greatest Showman received a number of accolades, including the Golden Globe award for Best Original Song. It was nominated for two more Globes, which included the best actor for Jackman’s work in the film.