Complex Casts The Steve Jobs Biopic

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It was only a matter of time before Hollywood made a Steve Jobs biopic. Apparently that time is coming soon. Just two days after the Apple co-founder passed away, news broke that Sony Pictures threw down a substantial sum to purchase the rights to the upcoming authorized biography penned by Walter Isaacson. Coming off the success of The Social Network, Sony is looking to create another tech-themed hit. To do so, the studio will need to enlist the services of a great director, great writer, and a great cast. We have a few suggestions. We thought, differently of course, about a few of the characters that may be included in the movie and put together a list of actors we think can fill the roles. Keep reading to see who made the cut. 

Young Steve Jobs

Played by: Ashton Kutcher

Granted he's not what many would consider grade-A acting material, but there's no denying the uncanny resemblance between the Apple creator and Demi's cheating beau. Kutcher's entrepreneurial instincts and true-life university struggles (donating blood for cash) could inspire a great act of Jobs' triumphant college dropout tale, where he was forced to return Coke bottles to earn food money.  Hey, with all the duds on his resume, dude's due for a breakout performance. This could be it. 

Laurene Power Jobs

Played by: Michelle Pfeiffer

The actress cast as the apple of Steve's eye should be one that embraces intelligence, power, and ageless beauty. Who better than the 53-year-old blonde bombshell Michelle Pfeiffer. When you look into their backgrounds, both women share similarities on and off screen. They've been commended for their charity work over the years, plus Laurene is involved in the education sector as one of the board of directors for Achieva, while one of Pfeiffer's most memorable roles is that of a inner city teacher in Dangerous Minds. Get the picture?

Steve Wozniak

Played by: Philip Seymour Hoffman

Apple co-founder + Capote = Winning. Hoffman's Oscar pretty much speaks for itself, but it's his supporting actor performances that really make him a standout for the role of Jobs's longtime comrade. Hey, he has a knack for playing the right-hand man, as we all witnessed in Charlie Wilson's War. Name another actor who could capture the amazing spirit and geek-ish charm of the "Woz." Seriously.

Bill Gates

Played by: Anthony Michael Hall

Those who’ve seen the made-for-TV film, Pirates of Silicon Valley, have witnessed the perplexing relationship between the two frenemies. Also, anyone who remembers Anthony Michael Hall’s performance of the obsessed and nerdish Microsoft titan knows he hit the mark with his impersonation. Why fuck up a good thing? 

Lee Clow

Played by: Jeff Bridges

After Jobs was rehired by Apple in the mid 90s, Clow was urgently brought onboard to help rescue the company: serving as the Apple CEO’s most trusted adviser and personal friend. The man responsible for Apple's “Think Differently” campaigns engaged in verbal sparring sessions during weekly meetings and sports a ZZ Top beard that has become som famous amongst techies, it has its own Twitter account. Sounds like a Jeff Bridges role to us.

Jef Raskin

Played by: Frank Langella

The man responsible for the Macintosh project in the late 1970s shares an elderly resemblance to that of the Oscar-nominated actor. And lets face it, Langella kicks ass at portraying real-life power figures. Does Frost vs. Nixon ring a bell? His commanding presence would only attribute to the turbulent relationship between Raskin and Jobs during the early days of the Macintosh era. Could you imagine how those onscreen debates would turn out?

Tim Cook

Played by: William Hurt

Seeing how new Apple CEO, Tim Cook, will forever be under the public microscope, an actor built to tackle thick-skin characters is surely necessary in this case. Enter film and TV veteran William Hurt. Often cast as the intellectual in his films, Hurt has the look and acting chops to pull off a great performance. Watch his act as Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson in the HBO film Too Big to Fail and you’ll be convinced as well.

John Sculley

Played by: James Cromwell

Cromwell is best known for playing the conniving prick on the big screen. Don’t believe us? Revisit The People vs. Larry Flynt or The Longest Yard remake. It’s only fitting that he be cast as the man most responsible for Jobs first departure from Apple. As far as looks, the facial features are nearly identical, especially the schnoz. We can already picture Apple's board of directors siding with Sculley and giving Stevie the boot.

Jonathan Ive

Played by: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Some might say Christopher Nolan's favorite acting pupil is too young for the role of Apple's lead designer. We beg to differ. His critically acclaimed performance in 50/50, along with his work in the Nolan's Inception, has him at the top of Hollywood's 2012 Most Wanted Actors List. Besides, Tom Hardy and Sam Worthington‘s schedules are all tied up. As far as character development, Ives' inseparable connection with Jobs is a side story that must be told, as the two geniuses were once considered to have "very symbiotic" relationship. Someone needs to represent Apple’s new generation and who better than the man behind the designs of the iPhone, iPad, and the pop culture-fav G4 Cube?

Older Steve Jobs

Played by: Stanley Tucci

Were you expecting George Clooney? C'mon, son. From starring as a creepy child murderer in The Lovely Bones to channeling his inner fashionista in The Devil Wears Prada, the soon-to-be 51-year-old actor knows all about portraying a perfectionist, which as we all know was Jobs's biggest pet peeve. Plus dude looks exactly like his biological twin, albeit a couple inches shorter. If anyone can nail the "One more thing..." catchphrase to a T, it's Tucci.