8. Jim Broadbent As Philip French
If you've ever found yourself reading The Observer, UK's oldest Sunday newspaper, and you like reading about movies (how could you possible not?!) chances are that you came across Philip French. A writer for the paper since 1963, French graduated to film critic in 1978 and his intimate passion for movies made him into a trademark of film criticism in Britain all the way up to May 2013, when he announced his retirement at the plump age of 80. After retirement he was made Officer of the Order Of The British Empire which no one else on this list can boast about. For living through a booming time for film in the 60s and 70s, and being such an staple in his field for decades, French would do real nicely with a movie adaptation. And Jim Broadbent would absolutely kill that role. The only YouTube clip of French that you'll find is his 7 minute
talk about gangster movies for The Guardian. But watch it and tell me you don't see how Broadbent wouldn't pick up his kind of eccentricity in speech and facial contortion, and run away with it. French's encyclopedic knowledge of movies and his stammer, which he's openly talked about, would be utilized by someone like Broadbent perfectly. And that's mostly because Academy Award winner Jim Broadbent, known for his organically impeccable performances in Mike Leigh's movies, wouldn't resort to impersonation. That would be the lazy way out. Broadbent would become French and he'd nail it.