Top 10 Historical Figures Who Get Depicted the Most
#10: Marilyn Monroe
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As a mega-star of the 1950s and 60s, she appeared in dozens of movies during her life. Thanks in part to the tragic circumstances surrounding her death at just 36 years old, Hollywood is still smitten with Monroe decades later. The fact that she was a gorgeous and well-known sex symbol probably also has something to do with it. Monroe has been the subject of numerous biopics, miniseries, and documentaries. Some are good faith depictions of the star, while others have been criticized as exploitative. That’s not even counting the many parodies of Monroe and her famous characters that still permeate pop culture.
#9: Martin Luther King Jr.
The Civil Rights Movement was an incredibly important and tumultuous period in American history. This makes it a favorite topic for period films and TV shows. Because Dr. King played a major role in Black Americans’ fight for equality, he naturally shows up in a lot of these movies and shows, both as a central character and as a background element. His eloquence and his distinctive, resonant speaking voice made him particularly well suited for powerful cinematic portrayals. Fellow activist Malcolm X is also depicted on screen pretty regularly, though not quite as frequently as King.
#8: Joan of Arc
Her story is so unique and fascinating, no wonder it’s been depicted on screen so many times. Jeanne d'Arc began having religious visions when she was thirteen. She was still just a teenager when she led the French military into battle in the early 1400s. She was eventually tried for blasphemy for wearing men’s clothes and refusing to submit to the church, and she was executed by burning at the stake. However, centuries later she was canonized as a saint. As soon as filmmaking was invented, people started making movies about Joan of Arc, and she began showing up in silent films as early as 1898. Unsurprisingly, she’s appeared in dozens of French movies, but plenty of other countries also love to adapt her story.
#7: Marie Antoinette
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A lot of royals lost their lives during the French Revolution, but because she was young, beautiful, and controversial, she tends to show up on our screens more than the others. Unfortunately, those depictions don’t always do the real Marie Antoinette justice, as she was a more complicated figure than some movies would have you believe. As the last queen of France during a period of great upheaval, of course she was beloved by some and despised by others. In media, she’s portrayed as a subtle and savvy politician on the one extreme, and a frivolous ditz on the other. The reality was almost certainly somewhere in between.
#6: Jesse James
Although he was accused of many brutal crimes, James’s story was romanticized even while he was still alive. He was often depicted as a sort of Robin Hood figure, a reputation that he absolutely did not deserve. The infamous outlaw was all over American cinema from the 1920s through the 60s, and he was even played by his own son in an early silent film. During the heyday of westerns, he was a major character in numerous flicks of varying quality. Now that westerns have fallen off in popularity, he doesn’t show up on our screens quite as often as he used to. But he’s still appeared in several major movies and TV shows in the last couple of decades.
#5: Abraham Lincoln
Like the Civil Rights Movement, the American Civil War is one of Hollywood’s favorite topics. Of course, the sixteenth president shows up in many of these movies and TV shows. In the more than one hundred years that Lincoln has been portrayed on film, he’s been played by some pretty big names. Walter Huston took a turn as the Great Emancipator, as did Henry Fonda, Gregory Peck, and Daniel Day-Lewis. Sam Waterston played him in two different TV miniseries just two years apart. He’s been voiced by Orson Welles on the radio, and in animated form by Frank Welker. Anyone want to place a bet on which cinema legend will play Lincoln next?
#4: Adolf Hitler
If you’ve watched movies or TV in the last eighty years, you’ve seen him on your screen at some point. In fact, Hitler started appearing in films before the war was even over, including in some very weird stuff. In the years since, he’s continued showing up in cinema again and again. This is partly because of the popularity of World War II movies. But some filmmakers also choose to depict him to make a political statement, or even just to be controversial. Sometimes he’s played seriously, and sometimes as a parody, but there’s no question that he’s in a lot of media.
#3: Jesus Christ
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As the most important figure in one of the world’s major religions, it’s unsurprising that a lot of movies have been made about his life. In fact, he’s been a favorite subject of filmmakers for well over a century. Many of the movies about Jesus have become major cultural milestones, while others have been largely forgotten. Among the more unique entries is the incredibly groovy 1970s musical “Jesus Christ Superstar.” And we can’t forget the brutally bloody Mel Gibson-directed movie in which Jesus actually speaks Aramaic. Or that time Willem Dafoe played the son of God and David Bowie showed up as Pontius Pilate. One of the Lumière brothers even made a film about the passion all the way back in 1898.
#2: Cleopatra
Hollywood is weirdly obsessed with beautiful women who died young. Although she was a savvy leader who spoke nine languages, movies often reduce Cleopatra to a sexy love interest, focusing on her relationships with Mark Antony and Julius Caesar rather than her political acumen. Caesar himself is also depicted in many historical films, though to be fair, he often shows up as a side character in movies about Cleopatra. She was most famously portrayed by Elizabeth Taylor in 1963, but thanks to a surge in interest in Egyptology in the late 1800s and early 1900s, she was a popular subject in the early days of filmmaking. Today, Cleopatra still often appears as a major character in movies, TV shows, and video games.
#1: Napoleon Bonaparte
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You don’t have to take our word for it – he holds the Guinness World Record for the historical character most portrayed in films. His rise to power following the French Revolution is a story practically made for the big screen. Napoleon might not have been a big man, but he was certainly a larger than life figure. Contrary to popular belief, he was actually average height, but he’s often portrayed as a short, power-hungry dictator. Thanks to the bicorn hat he’s almost always wearing, he’s easy to spot, even in silent films. Ridley Scott’s recent biopic might not have been a box office hit, but we imagine Napoleon will still be showing up on our screens for a long time to come. Which historical figure do you think deserves more time on the big screen? Let us know in the comments.
