# Which actor would play...?



## TudorMihai

A little fantasy time. If there's a biographical film in the making about a composer, which actor would you like to see portraying that particular composer? For example, Bernard Hill with his looks from Titanic would make a good Tchaikovsky. Or Daniel Radcliffe would make a good young Shostakovich.


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## Freischutz

Samuel L. Jackson as Schoenberg.


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## hpowders

Richard Gere as Tchaikovsky.


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## hpowders

Madonna as Clara Schumann.


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## clara s

Daniel Day-Lewis as Richard Wagner


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## clara s

hpowders said:


> Richard Gere as Tchaikovsky.


come on

you can do better hahaha


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## Bulldog

Hugh Bonneville as JS Bach.


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## Ingélou

Julia Roberts as Hildegard of Bingen.


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## clara s

hpowders said:


> Madonna as Clara Schumann.


here Keira Knightley will be the undoubtedly perfect Clara

huh?


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## hpowders

clara s said:


> come on
> 
> you can do better hahaha


Leonardo DiCaprio.

Tchaikovsky's tough.


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## hpowders

clara s said:


> here Keira Knightley will be the undoubtedly perfect Clara
> 
> huh?


Yeah. I like her.


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## hpowders

Ingélou said:


> Julia Roberts as Hildegard of Bingen.


Maybe Judith Dench.


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## hpowders

clara s said:


> Daniel Day-Lewis as Richard Wagner


From the streets of New York to the streets of Munich.


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## clara s

hpowders said:


> Leonardo DiCaprio.
> 
> Tchaikovsky's tough.


yes and young

not bad choice


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## OldFashionedGirl

Mads Mikkelsen as Stravinsky.


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## Serge

Anthony Hopkins as Mozart.

But who would be playing this composer:


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## Guest

...............................
Deleted because a bit too rude. Probably.


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## Blancrocher

TalkingHead said:


> ...............................
> Deleted because a bit too rude. Probably.


Send me a PM and I'll advise.


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## GreenMamba

I've seen pictures of Roy Harris that look a bit like Richard Jenkins. However, this is likely one of those times where it's just one photo taken a certain way.

Vincent Schiavelli looks to me a bit like Philip Glass.









In either of these cases, these would likely not be lead roles in a biopic.


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## Guest

Blancrocher said:


> Send me a PM and I'll advise.


You sound like my (divorce) lawyer, Blanc. Are you as expensive?


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## clara s

Serge said:


> Anthony Hopkins as Mozart.
> 
> But who would be playing this composer:
> 
> View attachment 36982


John Malkovich?

Is he so multi-talented?


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## Guest

You mean *Salieri*, surely?


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## clara s

TalkingHead said:


> You mean *Salieri*, surely?


did Serge mean that Joch Malkovich could play Salieri?


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## Guest

I fink 'e did. ....................


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## Serge

Either way.

Here - him conducting himself:


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## Eviticus

Michael Gambon could play an older Beethoven.


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## Serge

Jesus, what is that guy? Like a deflated balloon?


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## Eviticus

clara s said:


> Daniel Day-Lewis as Richard Wagner


I think Daniel Day Lewis could play any composer and pull off something magic!


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## Serge

Eviticus said:


> I think Daniel Day Lewis could play any composer and pull off something magic!


Spectacular. The word is "spectacular".


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## Silkenblack

Brando as Sibelius. See it?

/Users/admin/Desktop/marlon_brando.jpg

/Users/admin/Desktop/Jean+Sibelius.jpg


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## hpowders

OldFashionedGirl said:


> Mads Mikkelsen as Stravinsky.


He's good. I just saw him in the Danish film "After The Wedding".


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## Blancrocher

hpowders said:


> He's good. I just saw him in the Danish film "After The Wedding".


I liked him in that movie, too. And in pretty much everything--even as that villain with the bleeding eyes in the James Bond flick.


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## hpowders

Sibelius as Brando:

I coulda been a contenda!!!!


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## wrycker

Enrique Villen (spanish) as Stravinsky.


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## FLighT

Eviticus said:


> I think Daniel Day Lewis could play any composer and pull off something magic!


He probably wouldn't even require much in the way of make up to portray Mahler, but Day-Lewis is quite tall, Mahler was not.


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## Blancrocher

Alec Guinness as Les Six.


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## melaniehiscock

Who would play Irving Berlin?


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## Guest

Without even thinking of this thread, I saw a vague resemblance between Luigi Nono and Jack Nicholson


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## Crudblud

FLighT said:


> He probably wouldn't even require much in the way of make up to portray Mahler, but Day-Lewis is quite tall, Mahler was not.


It's interesting to see a good actor playing an historical figure they may not seem particularly suited for, consider Philip Seymour Hoffman playing Truman Capote or Anthony Hopkins playing Richard Nixon, it's not so much that they look the part in terms of face or height or whatever, but in their posture, facial expression - the resemblance of physicality rather than the resemblance of features. One need not cast a lookalike if the audience believes in the acting on screen, and a lot of that is down to research on the actor's part, but of course for Mahler an actor only has still images and contemporary accounts to go on, where my two examples were very well documented on film during their lifetimes.


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## KenOC

Crudblud said:


> ...consider Philip Seymour Hoffman playing Truman Capote or Anthony Hopkins playing Richard Nixon...


Hopkins took on an even more unlikely role recently -- Alfred Hitchcock in a biographical movie mostly about the making of Psycho. No way can Hopkins look like Hitch, but he carried the movie nicely (along with a few other good actors and actresses of course).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0975645/?ref_=nv_sr_2


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## Vaneyes

I thought Hopkins was closer to Nixon than Langella, but neither were any great shakes.

My favorte "Nixon" is Rip Torn (Blind Ambition, CBS 1979).

YT 1:30 - 3:26


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## Vaneyes

melaniehiscock said:


> Who would play Irving Berlin?


Mark Wahlberg or Joseph Gordon-Levitt.


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## Morimur

Actors who would be great as composers. Which composers? not sure but here you go...

01. Bruno Ganz
02. Jeffrey Rush
03. Javier Bardem
04. Vincent Cassel
05. Daniel Auteuil
06. Jeremy Irons
07. Armin Mueller-Stahl


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## Vaneyes

Bruno, goodun.


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## Morimur

Vaneyes said:


> Bruno, goodun.


Those never get old. :lol:


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## Vaneyes

Without too much thinking, I'm thinking Javier Bardem for Carlos Chavez, and Geoffrey Rush for Haydn.


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## Bimperl

How about Joe Pesci as Beethoven?


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## motoboy

George C. Scott as either Sibelius or Bruckner.


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## hpowders

But he be dayud!!!


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## Antiquarian

Ian McKellen as Leonard Bernstein


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## SalieriIsInnocent

If Dan Hedaya could lose the Brooklyn accent, he's got the face for Beethoven, and his chin is perfect.








Henry Fonda could've played Mahler. Put some glasses on him, and boom!! Plus he was a great actor.


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## Posie

Steve Martin would make a great Haydn. I can see him in a powdered wig conducting the Surprise Symphony.   ...

ut:


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## norman bates

not a composer, but Kirsten Dunst would be a perfect Elizabeth Schwarzkopf. I guess it's not difficult to understand why


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## DiesIraeCX

Mark Ruffalo as Beethoven?









Ludwig Van Ruffalo


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## Tayfun

How about Rowan Atkinson(Mr.Bean) as Handel? )


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## Tayfun

I was talking about these guys


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## Blancrocher

Jeremy Irons as Benjamin Britten, perhaps.


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## JACE

Tayfun said:


> View attachment 49015
> View attachment 49016
> 
> I was talking about these guys


That made me laugh.

But you're right. They look alike!


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## Morimur

Jim Carrey as ol' Ludwig van B. He's a 'serious' actor, ya'll!


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## Blake

Bimperl said:


> How about Joe Pesci as Beethoven?


"Do I look like a clown to you? Like I'm here to amuse you? Do you know who I am? I'm [email protected] Beethoven!"


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## Antiquarian

Rene Auberjonois as Hector Berlioz.


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## Blancrocher

Brad Pitt as Eric Whitacre.


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## hpowders

Charles Ives portrayed by Gene Hackman


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## Bellinilover

I think the younger Colin Firth bore a pretty striking resemblance to Beethoven:


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## Stavrogin

Franco Franchi for Mahler


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## Stavrogin

Robin Williams would have made a great Verdi


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## Stavrogin

John Goodman - Rossini


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## Stavrogin

John Rhys Davies - Pavarotti


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## norman bates

Stavrogin said:


> Franco Franchi for Mahler


with Alma Mahler that leaves him for Ciccio


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## Bellinilover

Antiquarian said:


> Rene Auberjonois as Hector Berlioz.



















The resemblance _is_ rather striking, isn't it. Must be a French "type."


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## Couac Addict




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## Albert7

Robert De Niro as a creative interpretation of Franz Lizst.


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## elgar's ghost

Max Reger to be played by Martin Clunes?


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## Couac Addict

Freischutz said:


> Samuel L. Jackson as Schoenberg.


Say "atonal and dissonance are the same thing" one more time!


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## Bellinilover

I think Adrien Brody could be either Chopin or a young Franz Liszt.


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## Bellinilover

Jack Klugman as Leonard Bernstein.


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## Sir Redcrosse

Sir Ben Kingsley as Stravinsky


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## Polyphemus

Ron Perlman as Busoni


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## Chopiniana93

I think that Tobias Moretti would fit for Busoni's role:


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## OldFashionedGirl

Robert Pattinson as Mendelssohn.


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## Abraham Lincoln

Mindy Kaling as Bach...I mean, Lewis Black as Beethoven


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## Bellinilover

My brother has pointed out that Michael Landon during his "Bonanza" days looked like Leonard Bernstein. I do see a general resemblance, mostly having to do with the hair, so I think Landon could have played a young Bernstein.


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## elgar's ghost

British character actor Roger Frost would be bang on for Prokofiev...


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## Arsakes

I wonder which composer Nicolas Cage is suited for?!


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## Arsakes

elgars ghost said:


> British character actor Roger Frost would be bang on for Prokofiev...


Kinda old and thin for that pic of Prokofiev. Maybe for his older age...


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## Bellinilover

Hugh Dancy as Vincenzo Bellini.


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## johnnysc

Vanessa Redgrave as Hildegard of Bingen


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## johnnysc

Maybe Barry Pepper as a young Dvorak


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## Morimur

Arnold Schwarzenegger as Arnold Schoenberg.

Andy Dick as J.S. Bach


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## Morimur

johnnysc said:


> Vanessa Redgrave as Hildegard of Bingen
> 
> View attachment 77062
> View attachment 77063


Redgrave is a terrible choice-no one would believe she's a virgin. Kim Kardashian would be perfect for the part.


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## KenOC

Morimur said:


> Arnold Schwarzenegger as Arnold Schoenberg.


Arnold Stang might do better.


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## Morimur

Barbara Bush as Sibelius


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## Guest

Morimur said:


> Barbara Bush as Sibelius


That's a fine-looking man.


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## Bellinilover

I've always thought Todd Weyman -- not an actor, but an appraiser on the American "Antiques Road Show" -- bears a striking resemblance to George Gershwin:









If I ever think of an actual actor who resembles Gershwin I'll let you know!


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## Stavrogin

Bellinilover said:


> I've always thought Todd Weyman -- not an actor, but an appraiser on the American "Antiques Road Show" -- bears a striking resemblance to George Gershwin:
> 
> View attachment 78384
> 
> 
> If I ever think of an actual actor who resembles Gershwin I'll let you know!


The old guy talking to him looks perfectly like Giya Kancheli.


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## Stavrogin

Oh and for Gershwin I candidate Zeppo Marx.


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## Stavrogin

JK Simmons for Schoenberg


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## Stavrogin

Mastroianni as Puccini.


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## Morimur

Stavrogin said:


> JK Simmons for Schoenberg


Simmons doesn't even look like a Jew. Brad Pitt-now there's our Schoenberg!


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## ptr

Morimur said:


> Simmons doesn't even look like a Jew. Brad Pitt-now there's our Schoenberg!


If only Brad Pitt could act, that would be a match made in Your dreams!

/ptr


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## Stavrogin

ptr said:


> If only Brad Pitt could act, that would be a match made in Your dreams!
> 
> /ptr


Brad Pitt cannot act now? 
Sure he can be much more gifted for a specific type of role but he's top notch at that. 
Twelve monkeys, Fight club... 
And Snatch! 
Snatch is only good because of his performance basically.


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## Stavrogin

A young Michael Lonsdale as Albeniz?


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## Stavrogin

Robert Downey jr as Arenski :lol: Do I even need to post a picture of the actor?


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## Stavrogin

Jeff Goldblum as Rachmaninov


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## Stavrogin

William Fichtner as my man Ciurlionis


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## Stavrogin

And I close this roll with an old obsession of mine 

Alfred Molina as Alban Berg


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## Morimur

Stavrogin said:


> Brad Pitt cannot act now?
> Sure he can be much more gifted for a specific type of role but he's top notch at that.
> Twelve monkeys, Fight club...
> And Snatch!
> Snatch is only good because of his performance basically.


Did you see 'Meet Joe Black'? Hardest I've ever laughed.


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## Stavrogin

Morimur said:


> Did you see 'Meet Joe Black'? Hardest I've ever laughed.


You know, I was about to write "I can hardly recall any bad performance by him", and then this movie came to mind 

But I think he'd do well as Schoenberg. Too bad he looks nothing like him


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## techniquest

Stavrogin said:


> Jeff Goldblum as Rachmaninov


Nice idea, but of course Jeff Goldblum will play it as he plays everything: as himself.

meanwhile, how about Ernest Borgnine as an older Beethoven...?


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## Morimur

Stavrogin said:


> But I think he'd do well as Schoenberg. Too bad he looks nothing like him


It's ok, Hollywood Schoenberg needs a matinee idol's face . . . and a six-pack for the obligatory love making scene. Yawn.

They got Mads Mikkelsen to play Stravinsky in the 2009 debacle 'Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky'. What a joke.


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## Bellinilover

How about Ioan Gruffudd as Sir Arthur Sullivan? I don't know that I see the resemblance myself, but someone on another website mentioned it.


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## Bellinilover

After wracking my brains for an actor who looks even vaguely like George Gershwin, the only one I can come up with is Joseph Fiennes:















Edited to add: Someone up-thread asked who could play Irving Berlin. How about Rufus Sewell? He's dark, quite chameleon-like as an actor, and does a good American accent:


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## elgar's ghost

He's now older than this pic shows but when in hangdog mode (and with a slight change in hairstyle plus a pair of specs) I think James Fleet would make a convincing Shostakovich from the middle/later years.


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## Xenakiboy

Jack Black with a hair adjustment as Ludwig Van Beethoven



"I'm like totally gonna start working on my fifth Symphony...after you fetch me that baloney sandwich. Duh duh duh duuuuhhhhhhhhh"


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## Vronsky

I would love to see Wesley Snipes as Igor Stravinsky.


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## Poodle

Vronsky said:


> I would love to see Wesley Snipes as Igor Stravinsky.


Would you? :lol:


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