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Casting Call: Pelé

Donido, Pelé's father, a player himself, is responsible for first introducing the world's greatest soccer star to the sport. Pelé considers Donido to be one of the most important influences on his life and his success. Such a pivotal role requires an actor with the capacity to embody a strong but nurturing patriarchal energy. Don Cheadle is certainly up to the challenge, and he's already proved that he can master regional accents in Hotel Rwanda.

 

It would certainly be a departure for Kate Mara to play Pelé's scorned first wife, Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi, but we're confident she'll be up for the challenge. Mara's been gaining momentum since House of Cards and will need such roles to keep it up. A young Juliette Lewis, circa 1991, would have been perfect for the role but alas, she can not be forever preserved as the vulnerable Danielle Bowden from Cape Fear.

 

Rodrigo Santoro is perhaps the most famous Brazilian actor. We would love to see him cast as Pelé's teammate on the Santos Futebol Clube and during the '58 World Cup, Vava. He has already proven very capable of playing real life people in his turn as Paul Castro in Che. Not to mention it has been too long since he smoldered in Love Actually.

 

With his intense, impassioned eyes and slightly curved nose, British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor bears a striking resemblance to Pelé. Although the film will focus on the soccer legend's early life, if they do decide to include scenes with an older Pelé, the casting team should keep Ejiofor in mind.

 

As Pelé was only 17 when he won his first World Cup, it may prove a to be a "search for Scarlett" to find a young actor experienced and talented enough to take on the role. It's always risky to go with a newbie. Unfortunately, Jaden Smith, who not only looks conveniently like the young Pelé but has also already proved himself capable of carrying major Hollywood films, is still slightly too young for the role, at 14. Instead, we would suggest Denzel Whitaker. Although still quite green, he has appeared in multiple features. Hopefully he will turn out to be as talented as his namesake—that other Denzel.

 

Pelé's second wife, Assiria Lemos Seixas, has that rare old-school Hollywood beauty, the kind of classic elegance that is somewhat out of vogue at the moment. Australian actress Abbie Cornish, however, is an exception. As well as looking like a screen siren, Cornish has already starred in multiple biopics, from her breakout role in Bight Star to Elizabeth: The Golden Age. It would be fun if they managed to coax Gisele Bunchen into returning to the big screen, from which she has been absent since 2006's The Devil Wears Prada, to play one of Pelé's many other flames, but we won't hold our breath.