Being an Olympian requires training, talent, focus and determination. And if actors want to successfully portray these athletes, they’ll need this, too.
Countless films have told sports stars’ stories over the years—some coming out victorious and some not getting the glory.
With the Tokyo Olympics just weeks away, many movie buffs are getting in the spirit by re-watching a few of their favorites. Want to get in on the action? The games begin with the opening ceremony on Friday, July 23 and end with the closing ceremony on Sunday, August 8. So, there’s still plenty of time to binge-watch the classics—just make sure to pace yourself.
Luckily, E! News is here to help and coach you through the movie selection process. Scroll on to see a list of celebrities who totally deserve a gold medal for their portrayals of Olympic greats. Then, pop some popcorn, grab your teammates and settle in.
And remember, it’s a movie marathon, not a sprint.
Allsport UK /Allsport/Getty Images; Ms Gordon/20th Century Fox/Kobal/ShutterstockEmma Stone aced her portrayal of Billie Jean King in the 2013 movie The Battle of the Sexes. While the film didn’t center on the Olympics—but rather the tennis champion’s winning match against Bobby Riggs in 1973—King did coach the gold medal-winning 1996 and 2000 women’s tennis teams and received the International Olympic Committee Women & Sport World Trophy in 2002. Stone also went for the gold and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in 2018.
Clubhouse Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock; David Madison/Getty ImagesIn 1991, Tonya Harding made history as the first American woman to land a triple axel. She went on to place fourth at the 1992 Olympic Games. But two years later, everything changed and her name became associated with one of the biggest scandals in sports history.
In 1994, just ahead of the Winter Games, fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan was clubbed in the knee by Shane Stant. Harding’s bodyguard Shawn Eckardt, her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly and Stant’s uncle Derrick Smith were co-conspirators in the attack. Both Kerrigan and Harding went on to compete in the 1994 Olympics, with Kerrigan winning the silver medal and Harding coming in eighth place. Harding denied any involvement in the attack but pleaded guilty to hindering the prosecution and was banned from the sport.
Margot Robbie portrayed Harding in the 2017 film I, Tonya and was nominated for an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for her performance.
Frank Connor/Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock; Focus on Sport/Getty ImagesWill Smith‘s performance in the 2001 movie Ali was a total knockout, with the actor being nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award and winning a BET and MTV Movie & TV Award for his portrayal of Muhammad Ali. The film is about the three-time world heavyweight boxing champion and his life both in and outside the ring, with a focus on the years between 1964 and 1974.
One of the many victories Ali achieved in his lifetime was at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, where he won the gold medal at age 18.
In the 2015 film Eddie the Eagle, Taron Egerton played Michael “Eddie the Eagle” Edwards, who competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and became the first British ski jumper since 1928 to participate in the Games. While Edwards finished last in both of his events, he quickly became a fan favorite. And even though the movie didn’t get the most raving reviews, Egerton still gave a winning performance in Edwards’ eyes.
“Taron has done a very, very good job,” he told the BBC in 2015. “I sat down and chatted to him for an afternoon at Pinewood Studios back in March and it’s amazing—he’s got my mannerisms and everything else just right. It’s uncanny how much he looks like me—he’s wearing the glasses and got the hair style and mustache.”
The 2016 movie Race tells the story of Jesse Owens and his journey to and at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, where the legendary track and field star won four gold medals. To prepare for the role, Stephan James spoke with Owens’ daughters and spent two months training at Georgia Tech with the school’s coaches. According to Time, he worked on general conditioning, improvement of speed and the emulation of Owens’ motions. As he told the magazine, “I knew I had my work cut out for me when I was told I was going to be playing the fastest man on the planet.”
Alexa, play “Chariots of Fire.” While it’s almost impossible to think of the 1981 movie without humming the main song, the film was so much more than its soundtrack. The picture is about the lives of two British track stars—Jewish Englishman Harold Abrahams and Christian Scotsman Eric Liddell—who both won gold medals at the 1924 Olympics. Ian Charleson and Ben Cross played the sprinters, respectively and the movie won four Oscars, including Best Picture.
This movie really was a team effort with Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo and Steve Carell all bringing their A-game. In the 2014 movie, the wealthy John du Pont (Carell) invites Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler Mark Schultz (Tatum) to move to his estate, form a team and train for the 1988 Olympics. Mark is later joined by his brother and fellow gold medal winner Dave Schultz (Ruffalo). The movie examines the dynamic between Mark and John and John’s killing of Dave.
The picture racked up the nominations, securing multiple Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG Award nods.
In the 2004 movie Miracle, Kurt Russell played Herb Brooks, the hockey-player-turned-coach who led the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team to their monumental victory against the Soviet Union. And the athletes weren’t the only ones to walk away with the glory. The film won Best Sports Movie at the 2004 ESPY Awards.