Josh Brolin collaborated with the controversial director Oliver Stone to portray former American President George W. Bush in the 2008 political comedy film W. The Avengers: Endgame actor was roped in for the role after the director’s original choice, Christian Bale, passed on it. W. explores Bush’s life, from his time at Yale University to his presidency as the 43rd President of the United States.
Despite Stone’s criticism of Bush, the director confirmed at the time that his intention was not to create an anti-Bush narrative. The film was strategically released just before the 2008 presidential elections.
The Decision To Cast Josh Brolin As The Polarizing President
Although Josh Brolin played Bush to perfection, he was not Stone’s first choice. The Platoon director contemplated making the film with Harrison Ford and later fixed Christian Bale for the role. However, The Dark Knight actor could not go through with it after his prosthetic makeup tests did not go well. Eventually, the role landed with Brolin.
Oliver Stone did not consider the Oldboy actor initially because he needed someone with a star value. Stone shared with GQ:
“I needed a star, though, and Josh Brolin was not a star”.
But eventually, the Academy Award-winning director settled for Brolin after finding something very ‘Americana’ in him. The JFK director still wanted Brolin to put on prosthetic makeup for the film. However, the Jonah Hex actor rejected the prosthetics, stating that he doesn’t want to merely look like George Bush but also act like him.
How Did Josh Brolin Take The News Of His Casting?
Josh Brolin, though born into a Republican family, had an inclination towards the Democratic party. The Dune actor was confused as to why the director would choose him for the role considering his opposing political views. Brolin said:
“When people approach you about roles, you understand why they would make the connection. But when [Stone] came to me about Bush, I couldn’t understand it. I couldn’t make any connection whatsoever. I was a little insulted. He said, ‘There’s something very Americana about you. There’s something bucolic about you.’”
But once Brolin had the chance to go through the script of W., he was convinced of the role. Josh Brolin spent a lot of time doing extensive research on the character, reading books, and watching many interviews. The Deadpool 2 actor revealed that he even grew to appreciate more aspects of Bush apart from his views.
Worth noting is the fact that Brolin was arrested after an altercation at a bar along with W. co-star Jeffrey Wright and some crew members of the movie. You can catch the movie for rent on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: ABC News
