How Brett Stimely Became Hollywood’s JFK for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Watchmen & More

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How Brett Stimely Became Hollywood's JFK for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Watchmen & More

As a dedicated gamer and history buff, I can’t help but be captivated by the enduring allure of President John F. Kennedy in speculative fiction. His larger-than-life presence continues to resonate with audiences long after his untimely death in 1963. The myth and mystery surrounding JFK fuel an endless fascination, as Hollywood keeps reimagining what could have been if he hadn’t been assassinated.

1. Is it that he’s greeting Doctor Manhattan on the White House lawn or finding ways to survive after the events in Dallas, but either way, President John F. Kennedy remains a widely admired figure in speculative stories. Even over six decades since his death at the hands of Lee Harvey Oswald, the 35th U.S. President maintains an iconic, larger-than-life image within the nation’s collective consciousness.

One can’t help but wonder what the man might have accomplished on behalf of the United States, had he not been cut down in his prime. We’ll never know for certain, of course, but that doesn’t stop versions of JFK from popping up in everything from Watchmen to Transformers: Dark of the Moon (the latter is now streaming on Peacock). And when Hollywood decides to take a little peek into the multiverse, they call Brett Stimely, an actor who has cultivated quite the sterling reputation as a Jack Kennedy lookalike. Talk about finding your niche, right?

In an interview with SYFY Wire, Stimely stated, “I found someone who resembles me or could play my part convincingly.” He added, “I usually delve a bit into such matters – be it presidents, senators, lawyers. It’s beneficial to have this knowledge handy, and it proved useful in this instance.”

As a voracious reader with a deep interest in both history and crime fiction, I find alternate history stories to be absolutely captivating. They offer a unique perspective on familiar events and characters, allowing us to explore what could have been if certain historical turning points had gone differently.

How Actor Brett Stimely Became Hollywood’s Go-To Stand-In for John F. Kennedy

How Brett Stimely Became Hollywood's JFK for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Watchmen & More

1. The reliability of Stimely as a Jack-of-all-trades, particularly in the role of JFK, was established through Zack Snyder’s 2009 movie adaptation of “Watchmen.” This film unfolds in an alternate universe where vigilantes and one superhuman being coexist. The movie cleverly introduces its parallel world by presenting a series of significant, subtly altered historical events from the 20th century in slow motion as a montage. In this montage, we observe President Kennedy meeting Doctor Manhattan, a powerful, blue-skinned character portrayed through motion capture technology, performed by Billy Crudup.

During the filming of that specific meeting, an unexpected issue arose. The crew discovered that Crudup was noticeably shorter than Stimely. “I thought that was interesting,” shares Stimely. “[They responded with] ‘Let’s bring over a half apple box and have him stand on it… We might need another full one as well.’ So, they made him appear taller than me.” He continues, sharing fondly: “Working with Billy there and shaking hands with the most powerful being in the universe was an amazing experience.”

Just a moment ago, the movie’s sequence changed to that fateful day in history, Kennedy’s death, but with an unexpected turn: the fatal bullet wasn’t fired by Oswald, it was the Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), sitting on the grassy knoll and blowing smoke from his cigar. Stiemply mentions he meticulously watched the Zapruder film around 50 times to depict that moment accurately.

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2 years after, the same actor once again took on the Kennedy character in the opening scene of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, where the narrative suggests that the U.S. didn’t land astronauts on the Moon due to the Cold War, but rather to explore a crashed Autobot spaceship. The actor’s compelling performance, which involved spending 4 hours in makeup, is interspersed with authentic footage of JFK during his “We Choose to Go to the Moon” speech. As he confessed, the actor had always admired Kennedy. He had listened to several of his speeches previously and found that particular address particularly captivating. Being a child at the time of Kennedy’s assassination, he vividly remembered it as an emotional moment in history.

Before the filming of “Dark of the Moon” started, Kennedy had a wardrobe fitting several months prior. During this session, Michael Bay, the director, requested a bespoke suit for Kennedy’s minor role. As Kennedy recalls, they arranged for him to be fitted by George Clooney’s tailor.

After appearing as President Kennedy in both the films “Watchmen” and “Dark of the Moon,” which came out in 2013 (with “Kill the Dictator” focusing on Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo’s story and “Parkland” depicting the aftermath of JFK’s death), Stimely offers some insights as to why Kennedy remains a popular subject, particularly in alternate history. According to him, “He was quite young, incredibly handsome, and had an elegant wife, not to mention the esteemed Kennedy name.”

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2024-07-29 22:47