Bowie played Joseph Merrick in Broadway’s “The Elephant Man,” which he did wearing no stage make-up. His powerful performance earned him much praise. After all, he played the part over 150 times between 1980 and 1981.
But Bowie declined the role of the villain Max Zorin in “James Bond: A View to a Kill” in 1985. His other roles consisted of the hitman Colin in the 1985 John Landis film “Into the Night” and Goblin King in Jim Henson’s dark symphonic fantasy “Labyrinth.”
Bowie Was Also an Actor
Many people forget that Bowie was also an actor. While fundamentally a musician, the natural performer garnered acting roles throughout his career as well. He appeared in over 30 films, TV shows, and theatrical productions. His acting career, however, was very particular and in a healthy way.
Bowie avoided starring roles and rather opted for smaller cameos and supporting roles. Many critics maintain that had he not pursued music, he would have been a very successful actor.
Bowie the Theater Star?
Bowie's acting career actually predated his breakthrough as a musician. He had studied avant-garde theater and mime, taking the role of Cloud in Kemp's 1967 play "Pierrot in Turquoise." In 1976, Bowie received acclaim for his first significant film role in "The Man Who Fell to Earth," as the alien Thomas Jerome Newton.
Bowie later revealed that his medication use during the filming left him in a very flimsy state of mind, so much so that he barely understood the movie.
Blade Runner
In 2017, director Denis Villeneuve mentioned that his original plan was to cast Bowie in his movie "Blade Runner 2049" as the lead villain, Niander Wallace. But since Bowie passed, Villeneuve was compelled to look for another actor with similar "rock star" qualities and chose Jared Leto.
Villeneuve said that Bowie actually influenced Blade Runner's character in many ways — that he embodied the Blade Runner spirit. David Lynch, the director, also wanted Bowie to reprise his role from "Fire Walk with Me" for his film "Twin Peaks: The Return," but Bowie's illness prevented it. His character was consequently portrayed through archival footage.
A Painter
Apart from his acting roles, many people don’t know that Bowie was also an artist and painter. He moved to Switzerland in 1976 and lived in a chalet in the foothills of Lake Geneva. There, his dependency on medication diminished, and he found time for other pursuits outside of music and began painting.
His favorite paintings were post-modernist, and he would take his sketchbook with him and photograph scenes to paint later. In 1990, one of his pieces sold at auction for only $500 – much less than what a lock of his hair was valued at…