Michael Fassbender takes his turn as the iconic Apple co-founder in new movie Steve Jobs. But who wore the role best?
Hollywood darling Michael Fassbender, is the latest thesp to don Apple founder and serial entrepreneur’s black turtleneck in biopic Steve Jobs.
But is this new take better than the 2013 Joshua Michael Stern-directed Jobs? Let’s double tap, and zoom in on the two main actors, and see who did a better job of Jobs and how they went about it.
Ashton Kutcher (Jobs, 2013)
Preparation: “I dissected the nuances of his behaviour, the walk, the imperceptible lisp, his accent that was a combination of northern California and Wisconsin, the way he paused before answering, the way he bowed when receiving praise and stared with contempt when in conflict,” said Kutcher.
“I read the books that he read (Autobiography of a Yogi, Mucusless Diet Healing System), researched the artists he admired (Bauhaus, Ansel Adams) and ate the food he ate (grapes, carrot juice, popcorn).”
Look: The casting agent had an easy ride with this one – Kutcher is a dead ringer for his subject. To highlight this, the producers cheekily ran promo pics of side-by-side photos of Kutcher and Jobs – eerie!
Reception: Mostly unflattering reviews. E! Online, though not the definitive font of film wisdom, captured it when they said it was a “superficial and unsatisfying portrait of an icon who deserved better”. Like the criticisms hurled at Walter Isaacson’s biography of Jobs rushed out soon after Jobs’ death, critics rued the film’s failure to delve deeper into certain stages of its subjects’ life.
Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs, 2015)
Preparation: The German-Irish actor was less open in sharing his method of attack on the role. He sarcastically remarked, “I studied Ashton Kutcher.” Jokes aside, Fassbender did put in his own research.
He met a few people close to Jobs like former Apple CEO John Sculley, Jobs’ close friend Joanna Hoffman and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, all helping him create a picture of the mercurial tech genius. Even Jobs’ first child, Lisa, reportedly gave input to add balance to the narrative.
“You could see that he was still very much present in their lives. Even if the relationships were difficult, there was a sadness and love there for him that I felt was pretty clear,” says the 38-year-old actor.
Look: “Obviously I don’t look anything like Steve Jobs,” admitted Fassbender. “That was the first thing I said to Danny [Boyle, director]. He wasn’t interested in that. He wanted to get the energy and essence of the man and go with that.”
Reception: Critics have praised the story’s focus on the intricacies of Jobs’ personality. Indiewire wrote: “The cast vanishes into their parts. Fassbender, whose vivid expressions and constant movement turn him into a physical marvel.”
