Josh Gad to Play Sam Kinison in Upcoming Biopic

In the world of comedy, Sam Kinison could easily be considered one of the greats.  His trademark abrasiveness and anger made him one of the biggest comedians of the 80s, though like many in his profession, he was constantly dealing with inner demons and a substance abuse problem till 1992 when he was killed by a drunk driver.

Larry Charles (Borat, Bruno) is adapting the biography Brother Sam to the big screen with Josh Gad announced as the star, playing the role of Kinison. The film is being produced by David Permut who said this to Deadline who broke the news:

 

There was nothing conventional about Sam Kinison and neither will be the cinematic interpretation of his life. Larry Charles is the perfect director to bring Rich Wilkes’ incredible script to screen, and Josh Gad’s tremendous ability to morph into a role will bring great depth to Kinison’s larger than life persona.

The film is also set to feature many of the celebrities and comedians who knew Kinison, so roles will be cast for Howard Stern, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Oral Roberts, and Richard Pryor.

Not only do I believe Gad is an excellent choice for this role, although I’m a fan of Kinison’s comedy, I don’t know too much about his personal life, so I’m extremely intrigued in seeing how this film will turn out.  There’s no word yet on when shooting will begin or a release date, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted.