For some time HBO Films have been developing a bio-pic of the life of cutting edge comic Sam Kinison based on his brother Bill’s book Brother Sam: The Short, Spectacular Life of Sam Kinison. For much of that time they were looking at turning it into a project to air on the cable channel and had American Splendor‘s writing/directing team of Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini working on a script and heavy-set comic actor Dan Fogler was set to play the comic.
But for whatever reason, this particular incarnation of the project fell through, and now HBO Films is looking at turning the book into a theatrical film. To that end they have recently brought in Rich Wilkes to work on a new screenplay draft.
But for a look at what might have been, here’s Fogler’s screen test for the project from a few years ago. Interestingly, for this screen test Fogler doesn’t attempt to mimic Kinison’s distinct twang. Instead, he goes for capturing Kinnison’s on-stage energy, which he does remarkably well. It’s unknown if Fogler is still attached to Brother Sam, but the producers would be foolish if they think they can find someone else who would be able to encompass the persona of Kinison the way that Fogler manages to here.
