Who should play Kai in the Lifetime movie?
Yesterday we told you about Kai, the effusive hero hitchhiker who is key to the viral success of KMPH’s video report about the bizarre attempt by a racist man (claiming he was Jesus!) to kill a black PG&E employee. Today there’s even more national attention, with the widely read (in journalism circles) site JimRomenesko.com trumpeting the video, complete with this Tweet from KMPH reporter Jessob Reisbeck:
Just talked to everyone’s new best friend/hero, Kai, on the phone. He’s stoked on all the support, and is still hitchhiking his way around.
— Jessob Reisbeck (@jessob_kmph) February 5, 2013
The video has more than a million views on YouTube and has been featured on CNN and other national news outlets. It’s also gone viral in such far-flung locales as Ireland and Australia, Reisbeck notes on his Twitter page.
So we figured it’s only a matter of time before Lifetime comes out with “Hero with a Hatchet.” Which raises the question: Who should play the plum role of Kai? I’ve narrowed it down to five candidates (four local, one from Hollywood). Who gets your vote? Other suggestions?
TERRY LEWIS: (above) Can’t you just see him delivering the “smash, smash, S-AYA-MASH!” line with the appropriate Valley Boy-slash-hurricane intensity?
PETER ALLWINE: I see Peter taking a sort of laidback, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” approach to the role. But when he gets to the hatchet scene, Mr. Cladwell (“Urinetown”) rears up.
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MARC GONZALEZ: Something about Marc’s wild eyes as a Phantom in “The Rocky Horror Show” matches the (scary) intensity in Kai’s most vehement moments.
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BROOKE AIELLO: Sure, it’s casting against type. But if she could pull off Hamlet, she could certainly handle surfer dialect and a raging opponent. Plus, she knows how to handle a sword, so the hatchet should be no problem at all.
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MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY: I’m all for keeping the role local. But if Lifetime insists on an above-the-marquee star, Matt is a natural. Too old for the role? You bet. But when it comes to spaced-out heroics, he’d be hard to top. An Emmy award, for sure.
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In the meantime, Kai has his own “Kai the Hitchhiker” Facebook page.
Oh, and here’s some late-breaking Kai news: There could be an auto-tune version coming soon:
Ya’ll ready for this? @kmphfox26 in the works w the legendary @gregorybrothers to do an autotune version of Kai’s interview. 1 word, #Smash.
— Jessob Reisbeck (@jessob_kmph) February 5, 2013
Responses to "Who should play Kai in the Lifetime movie?"
Inspired choices. All of them.
Steve Van Zant
James Franco! No doubt about it.
Agree with the commenters above with Kai playing himself, Jason Mewes & James Franco. My ex-boyfriend could definitely be a contender. Unfortunately, he would be considered too old for the role… but I swear they could be twins! :p
Disregard my previous post, I nominate Shaun White instead! Those two look separated at birth.
Definitely Terry Lewis, although I like seeing Matthew McConaughey in anything.
I think Kai should play Kai! He is so unique , I don’t think any actor could do him justice!
Dillon Morgan! Or Dane Oliver, who could also kill it. Suh-mash!
I could not agree with you more.Great choices.
Kai should play Kai.
With our luck, it’ll end up being Bradley Cooper with their OSCAR NOMINEE trailer.
If Entourage was still on, Johnny Drama would be perfect!
How anyone can look beyond Jason Mewes I just don’t know.
You’re right. If I had it to do over again, he’d definitely bump Matthew McConaughey from the list.
If Kai doesn’t have the lead role as Kai; then I would second the nomination for Matthew. But here’s a twist – how about Keanu Reeves?