12 Most Ridiculous Biopic Castings Of All Time

5. John Wayne - Genghis Khan (The Conqueror)

John Wayne is one of the most celebrated and beloved American actors of all time, best remembered for his legendary body of work in the western genre.

Casting him as Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan, then, probably wasn't the smartest or most tactful idea, because even if you can look past Wayne's iconic stature as a living emblem of Americana, it's hard to ignore the flagrant white-washing at play.

While scarcely even attempting to disguise his distinctive southern twang, Wayne also had his skin coloured and wore a ridiculous Fu Manchu mustache, cementing this as a total embarrassment.

You can argue "it was a different time" until you're blue in the face, but even if you strip the obvious racism away, it's insane that producers felt Wayne could convincingly pull this off.