Texas-born Roy Orbison began singing in high school and landed a record deal with Nashville label Monument at 24 years old. After his song "Only The Lonely" was rejected by Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers, Orbison recorded it himself and quickly skyrocketed to the top of the charts. By 1965, he had nine top ten hits under his belt and was one of the biggest stars in rock music. With some skillful makeup application, Andrew Garfield could carry Orbison from the early to late stages of his career. We'll admit that the actor might be just a little more handsome than The Big O was in real life, but he's still got that sweet, slightly geeky appeal going for him. Besides, the charismatic singer was kind of cute in his own way, right? We know from Garfield's performance in The Amazing Spider Man movies that he can pull of an American accent, so we can easily see him behind Orbison's sunglasses.
In 1957 Orbison married Claudette Frady, the eponymous subject of a song he would pen for the Everly Brothers in 1958. While out for a motorcycle ride with her husband in 1966, Claudette was struck by a pick-up truck and killed. Her death devastated Orbison and led to a sharp decline in his career throughout the '70s. Their relationship was often tumultuous; Claudette had an affair and the couple divorced in 1964 only to remarry a year later. Jennifer Lawrence would bring her natural southern charm and dramatic flair to the tragic role of Orbison's first wife and could easily render the tension and tenderness within the couple's marriage.
Two years after Claudette's death, a house fire took the lives of Orbison's two sons, 10-year-old Roy DeWayne and 4-year-old Anthony. We're not sure how the film will approach the death of the singer's children, but it will surely be one of the most powerful and emotional moments. Up-and-coming child actor Jacob Tremblay received critical acclaim for his role in the 2015 movie "Room," and he's just the right age to portray Orbison's son.
Orbison met 18-year-old German student Barbara Wellhöner Jakobs while performing in Leeds in 1968. They married a year later and went on to have two children. In the wake of the tragedies that he'd suffered, the beautiful Barbara reinvigorated Orbison's personal life but perhaps contributed the stasis that defined his later career. Barbara proudly managed Orbison's estate until her death in 2011. Allison Williams would be a breath of fresh air as the singer's story takes an optimistic turn, and even bears resemblance to his second wife. However, she'd probably need a dialect coach on hand to help her achieve that subtle, German accent.
Together with George Harrison, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan was part of the rock supergroup that was formed with Roy Orbision in the last year of his life. James Franco has named Dylan as one of his style icons, and that scruffy, brooding look he's been sporting in recent years convince us that he could easily be styled as the iconic crooner. He's also one of the few remaining actors who didn't play a version of Dylan in 2007's I'm Not There, so we think he could be right for the part.
Orbison and Elvis Presley had a strong mutual admiration for each other. Although it doesn't seem that they hung out all that much, seeing Elvis live for the first time in Odesa, Texas was a formative musical experience for Orbison. Although an appearance by The King in film would probably be brief, he would no doubt have to be a scene-stealer. The handsome Cheyenne Jackson shares Elvis' good looks, and with his well-known musical theater background he'd be a good contender to capture his electrifying stage presence.
