The decision to cast Pete Davidson in the title role in the Netflix/STX biopic I Slept With Joey Ramone is causing night sweats in the Twitterverse, with some grouchy critics arguing that Davidson is unsuited to portray the legendary punk rocker.
Take Eric Rytlewski, for example. While he was quoted as saying the casting was “good,” his damn-with-faint-praise tweet went on to describe Davidson “as a meh comedian and a boring public figure but sometimes a surprisingly decent actor in roles that don’t ask him to do much.”
Variety’s Mavori Ravindran was considerably less circumspect, calling the casting “bullshit,” suggesting, as did others on social media, that Adam Driver would have been more appropriate in the role of Joey Ramone.
Ramone died after a long struggle with lymphoma 20 years ago, on April 15, 2001. The casting announcement came on the anniversary of his death.
To be directed by Jason Orley of Big Time Adolescence fame, I Slept With Joey Ramone is based on a memoir penned by Ramone’s brother Mickey Leigh.
In announcing the production, Adam Fogelson, chair of the Motion Picture Group at STXfilms, said that “Pete is perfect for this role and we’re excited he and Jason will be bringing this icon of rock to life and thrilled to be collaborating once again with our friends at Netflix.” He also touted Mickey Leigh’s involvement in the project: “When you share a bed with someone – and not just a bed, but a childhood, a family, and a lifetime – you know that person better than anybody else.”
Davidson is no stranger to the genre, having appeared in Netflix’s The Dirt, a rock biopic about Motley Crüe. He also performed in the semi-autobiographical The King of Staten Island and will soon be seen in The Suicide Squad sequel. Whether his role as Joey Ramone could be a life-changing role or consider as a suicidal to his career remains to be seen.
