It's not the first time that the name of one of the hottest young actors in the world has been linked to one of the most iconic musicians of the past 20 years, but it has been brought up again. The Daily Express is reporting that Robert Pattinson (star of the "Twilight" series as well as the upcoming "Water for Elephants") is lobbying hard to play late singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley in a biopic about the iconic musician's life (and one of the film's producers has acknowledged that he has indeed expressed interest, along with the likes of James Franco and Jared Leto).
Buckley, who passed away in 1997 before he could complete his second album, is a much-beloved artist whose debut album Grace is largely considered to be one of the finest of the end of the 20th century. His music was full of gorgeous melody and dynamic energy shifts that centered on his incredible, gentle voice. Though 1994's Grace is a stone cold classic as a full album, Buckley's lasting legacy in music is his version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," which has been copied repeatedly and is largely considered the definitive version of the song (even more than Cohen's original).
Pattinson would make an excellent Buckley, as not only does he physically resemble the singer, but he also possesses the same kind of ethereal vibe that Buckley carried. His popularity was mainly rooted in his music, but he also had a mysterious quality that made him a fascinating character. Can Pattinson sing as well as Buckley? There's no evidence to suggest that he can. However, it seems like the man who breathed life into Edward Cullen can handle the moody, romantic vibe that Buckley gave off. Take a look at this performance of "Forget Her" (recorded during the Grace sessions but not released until 2004) and see if you can't picture Pattinson sliding into that role.
Of course, the other named mentioned on the short list for the role would probably work well also, though everybody else seems to be flawed in some way. Franco has probably played too many iconic roles to play Buckley (he's created so many great fictional characters that it'd be hard to accept him as playing a real person) and James Marsden (of "X-Men" fame) doesn't have that same air of mystery. Leto would probably be a good choice, as he has the musical chops to go with his left-field approach to performances.
Personally, I would LOVE to see Rob portray Jeff Buckley in the biopic. It would be an awesome opportunity for him to showcase his talent as an actor and musician. Keeping my fingers crossed.
MTV
