Additional casting for 'jOBS' biopic announced
updated 09:58 pm EDT, Tue July 10, 2012
Familiar faces to round out cast for indie film
There has been additional casting announced for roles in the story of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs for the independent movie jOBS uncovered by the Hollywood Reporter. Joining stars Ashton Kutcher, Matthew Modine, Anna O'Reilly and Broadway star Josh Gad in the production will be Kevin Dunn (Transformers) as former Apple CEO Gil Amelio, and J.K. Simmons (best known for his recurring role on Law & Order) as early Apple investor Arthur Rock.
Two lesser-known but interesting choices have been cast in crucial roles. Elden Henson, who has worked with Kutcher before in 2004's The Butterfly Effect, will be playing early Macintosh development team member Andy Hertzfeld. Hertzfeld is widely credited with having been the principle software architect of the early Mac OS among other achievements. Joining Henson as other Mac team members will be Lenny Jacobson (Showtime's Nurse Jackie) as Burrell Smith and Victor Rasuk (Lords of Dogtown, Stop-Loss) as Bill Fernandez (Apple's first official employee).
The film has also gained Giles Matthey (last seen in True Blood) as Sir Jonathan Ive. Matthey bears a resemblance to the strong-jawed Mac designer, who began with Apple in 1992 before Jobs' return (and designed the Newton Messagepad and 20th Anniversary Macintosh among other devices) but rose in stature and influence when Jobs promoted him to head of Apple's industrial design department. Ive has since contributed many of the company's most iconic designs, including the iPod, iMac and iPhone.
The movie is helmed by Swing Vote director Joshua Michael Stern, and features Kutcher as the mercurial Jobs during his "30 most defining years" from the early '70s to the early 2000s. Gad (The Book of Mormon) plays Steve Wozniak, while Modine is featured as Apple CEO John Sculley in the low-budget movie, which is expected to complete filming and be released before year's end.
Sony Pictures is producing a more lavish theatrical film on Jobs' life, currently being written by Aaron Sorkin (who won accolades for his film about Facebook, The Social Network). That movie is expected to hit theatres much later on, as it is presently only in pre-production.
