Hollywood biopics where the lead casting raised eyebrows - including unusual choice for Princess Diana

John Wayne's turn as the Mongolian conqueror Genghis Khan was so bad that the producer of the film, Howard Hughes, spent a reported $12 million to buy all the copies back and keep it out of circulation.

The 1956 film The Conqueror saw John in yellowface for the role, turning him into a racist caricature of the legendary historical figure. John was miscast not only because he wasn't Mongolian, but also because his name was synonymous with American Western films, rather than historical epics. 

The Conqueror was considered one of the worst films ever made, and also left more than 40% of its cast and crew with cancer as they filmed downwind of a nuclear test site and suffered from the radiation. 

John rarely mentioned the film following its release, except to reportedly say that the biggest lesson he learned was "not to make an a** of yourself trying to play parts you're not suited for".

Zoe Saldaña's casting as the legendary singer Nina Simone in the 2016 biopic Nina was controversial from the start; the Afro-Latina actress's skin was darkened for the role, and she was given an afro wig, a prosthetic nose and false teeth, which angered critics who pointed out that they simply could have cast a Black woman who more closely resembled the star.

The backlash was so great that even Nina's daughter, Lisa Simone, told The New York Times that she was not a fan of Zoe's casting. "My mother was raised at a time when she was told her nose was too wide, her skin was too dark. Appearance-wise, this is not the best choice," she said.

While Zoe initially defended her role, she later admitted in a 2020 Instagram interview that she had been the wrong person for the job. "I should have never played Nina," she said. 

"I'm so sorry. I know better today, and I'm never going to do that again. She's one of our giants and someone else should step up. Somebody else should tell her story."

"I thought back then that I had the permission because I was a Black woman. And I am. But it was Nina Simone," Zoe continued. "And Nina had a life, and she had a journey that should have been, and should be, honoured to the most specific detail because she was a specifically detailed individual."

"I should have done everything in my power, with the leverage that I had 10 years ago – a different leverage, but it was leverage nonetheless. I should have tried everything in my power to cast a Black woman to play an exceptionally perfect Black woman."

While Ashton Kutcher shared an uncanny resemblance to Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, in the 2013 biopic Jobs, audiences found that the actor's performance landed flat and served as a surface-level mimicry of the tech mogul.

Ashton was known at the time for his comedic roles and for starring in the practical joke-centric reality TV show Punk'd, so it was difficult to take him seriously as Steve. The actor later shared with Salon that playing the billionaire was far from easy.

"I thought it was a great opportunity, and I also knew it was going to come with a lot of judgment and a lot of ridicule and a lot of pressure to get it right. I have a lot of friends who were friends with Steve or worked with Steve, and so I felt the added pressure of that," he explained.

"I'm not a great impersonator of people, so I had to do a lot of work to figure out where he was coming from and work from the inside out with the character."

Kevin Spacey co-wrote, directed, produced and cast himself as the late rocker Bobby Darin in the 2004 biopic Beyond the Sea, in a move that drew criticism due to the vast age difference.

While Kevin was 44 at the time of filming, Bobby had never reached that age and instead died at 37 due to a weak heart. In addition, Kevin was playing Bobby in his 20s – two decades younger than the actor was at the time.

Kevin tried to mitigate the backlash by claiming that he was playing one version of Bobby, as he told CBS News. "What I've tried to do in this is to capture his essence and his attack," he explained. "The way he approached a song, but it has to come from me."

"I guess the biggest thing that I recognise, empathise, am interested in exploring is the person – and I know I have this in myself – who wants to keep reinventing themselves."

The Australian actress's attempt to play the inimitable Princess Diana in the 2013 biopic Diana drew heavy criticism, so much so that she later regretted taking on the role.

Naomi told Manhattan magazine that playing Diana "was the hardest thing I've done. I wanted to try to embody her and get the essence of her", adding that "it was just really hard to claim her as my own, since everybody else feels they know her".

A year later, the blonde beauty acknowledged that the film was a "sinking ship" that was mired with issues from the start. "I got seduced by the fantastic character," she told Harper's Bazaar. "Diana did a lot of things that had positive and negative results. She was multifaceted."

"But ultimately there were problems with [the film], and it ended up taking a direction that was not the one I was hoping for…With risk there is every chance it's going to fail. If you have to go down with that sinking ship, so be it."

Colin Farrell was so sure that his 2004 film Alexander – which followed the life of the Macedonian conqueror Alexander the Great – would win a slew of awards. 

Unfortunately, the film was quickly panned for its disjointed pacing, strange costumes (like Colin's blonde wig and fake tan), odd casting choices (Angelina Jolie was 29 when she portrayed Colin's onscreen mother) and weak script.

Colin revealed during The Hollywood Reporter's Actor Roundtable in 2023 that the film's overwhelmingly negative reception led him to question his own future in Hollywood.

"Expectation is a dangerous thing," he began. "It took us six months to shoot, on three continents. It was incredible. When I say 'expectation,' we all had our tuxedos ready [for awards shows]. I'm not even joking. We were all like, 'Right, lads, we're off to the Oscars. This is a sure thing.'"

"And then it came out. The reviews came out, and I remember someone going, 'Oh God, it's not good,'" he continued. "And my publicist going, 'It's really not good.'"

"I felt so much shame…I went to Lake Tahoe to a ski resort. I didn't ski, but I realised I could wear a mask and a beanie, and I did that for three days." Colin added that he questioned his acting talent and took the time to reconnect with "the Colin that went into an acting class when he was 17".