People expect a movie about Michael Jackson (in fact, our high commander, Josh Tyler already started casting it). A documentary about Farrah Fawcett has already been filmed. Even a movie about Ed McMahon wouldn’t be too out of the question given his high profile friends and tragic economic downfall at the end of his career. But a Billy Mays movie was hard to see coming. Yet, negotiations have already begun.
What’s even less expected are the casting choices that are being tossed around. Citing an anonymous source, Daily Stab claims that Steve Carell is being looked at to play Mays in a big screen biopic. Assuming there's any truth to this rumor at all, the movie would follow Mays around the world as he sells various items as if he were an old-fashioned tonic dealer. There are also talks going on about depicting Mays’ show, Pitchmen, in the film and having Owen Wilson play Mays’ co-host, Anthony Sullivan.
If you’re judging the choice based solely on appearance, there probably isn’t a better actor to go with than Steve Carell. And it’s not like Carell is dripping with integrity when it comes to his acting jobs. For every Dan in Real Life, there’s an Evan Almighty. Carell could bring depth to the role, though, as we know very little about the man that was Mays. Who knows? Maybe behind that perfectly molded face he sold us on TV, there was a whole world of ingredients that we never knew about.
