Released earlier this year, Pam & Tommy is the latest of a series of biographical and true story dramatizations on one of the ’90s most talked about scandals. But over the years there have been countless stories retold for audiences that will surely bring them back to the era of Baywatch, Clinton’s political scandal, and people who became major celebrities and icons in the most unexpected of ways.
While some of these on the list aren’t as scandalous nor as controversial as Pam & Tommy, they do capture the feel and look of the decade. So let’s look at some of the best of the ’90s celebrity biopics from movies and television shows throughout the years.
Pam & Tommy (2022)
Released earlier this year, Pam & Tommy was based on the scandal of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s leaked sex tape in the 90s during their three-year marriage together. The eight-episode series looked into the test of their relationship as they deal with the outcome of their privacy being stolen and shared without their consent.
And with a star-studded cast, the series saw these actors transform into their roles. With Lily James becoming Pamela Anderson and Sebastian Stam as her rock n’ roll husband, they were joined by Seth Rogen and Jason Mantzoukas in their most surprising onscreen roles to date.
The People V. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016-Present)
Now in its third season, American Crime Story has become a successful anthology series as each season focuses on multiple cases and the celebrities associated with them throughout the 90s. And it all started with 2016’s The People v. O.J. Simpson.
Starring Cuba Gooding Jr. as the former American footballer, the first season followed his trial for the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, his ex-wife. With a huge, talented cast surrounding Cuba, the series became a hit and would see the show dive into more controversial and scandalous cases.
The Fighter (2010)
Based on the incredible true story of two boxing brothers, Mark Whalberg played Micky Ward as he tries to climb the boxing ranks while being coached by his older half-brother Dicky Eklund, who was a boxing champion before he started to take drugs.
At the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011, the movie was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, but it lost out to The King’s Speech for both awards. However, Christian Bale. deservedly won Best Supporting Actor that year and is seen as one of his best movies according to IMDb.
Invictus (2009)
Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, Invictus is based on the true story of South Africa’s win at the 1995 Rugby World Cup. And yet, it also portrays two different icons and how they united for this sporting event in one of Clint Eastwood’s best-directed biopics.
Freeman played Nelson Mandela, one of the most recognizable political faces, as he becomes president of the country, while Damon played the captain of the South African rugby team, Francois Pienaar. Perhaps one of the more unusual titles on this list, the movie may not be full of scandal, but it did represent two iconic South African celebrities at the time in one dramatic story.
The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (2016-Present)
Following on from the success of American Crime Story’s The People v. O.J. Simpson, the second season followed another controversial case in the 90s. This time, it focused on the 1997 murder of Gianni Versace.
The Italian fashion designer was responsible for the costumes for several movies as well as having many celebrity friends. And while the series does eventually lead up to his murder, audiences were given an insight into Versace’s exciting life which was portrayed by Édgar Ramírez.
Greetings From Tim Buckley (2012)
Despite what the name may suggest, this movie doesn’t focus on who audiences might initially expect. Tim Buckley was a young musician who experimented with musical genres and wrote various albums during his career before he died at the young age of 28 in 1975.
But the movie instead focuses on his son, Jeff Buckley, as he prepares for a tribute show for his father in 1991. With such a large legacy left by his father, the story sees Jeff befriending Allie and helps him overcome his fears to make his public debut and live up to his late father’s musical legacy.
Tick, Tick … Boom! (2021)
The celebrated actor and musical writer Lin-Manuel Miranda have been one of the most creatively celebrated people in Hollywood in recent years. One of his many projects last year was his directorial debut Tick, Tick… Boom! and starred Andrew Garfield in the lead role that was also one of the best nominees for SAG by Metacritic.
The Netflix movie was based on Jonathan Larson, a playwright who tried to create a new musical and enter the theater industry. Despite only being 36 when he passed away, he wrote the hit Broadway musical Rent, but also the original Tick, Tick… Boom! theatre musical too during his short time in an industry he loved.
My Mad Fat Diary (2013-2015)
Rae Earl is a British author who wrote the 2007 book My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary and its 2014 follow-up My Madder Fatter Diary Vol. 2. While she may not be the most recognizable celebrity name on the list, some may recognize it from the British drama-comedy series My Mad Fat Diary.
While the books were based on the author’s teenage life in the eighties, the show changed it to the nineties and followed the show’s version of Rae as she reconnects with her best friend after leaving a psychiatric hospital. The show starred Sharon Rooney as Rae in her breakout role and has since starred in major television shows as well as some major Hollywood productions.
Joy (2015)
In one of Jennifer Lawrence’s most iconic roles, she played the title character of Joy Mangano as she rises from a struggling provider for her chaotic family to a successful businesswoman who earned millions of dollars. Joy Mangano was responsible for inventing her products including the Miracle Mop and the Huggable Hanger and by appearing on shopping channels and infomercials, she also became a celebrity in her own right throughout the nineties.
Jennifer Lawrence’s performance as the self-made businesswoman saw her earn a nomination for Best Actress at the 88th Academy Awards in 2016. While she did lose out to Brie Larson in her performance in The Room, she did win a Golden Globe for her brilliant performance.
Impeachment: American Crime Story (2016-Present)
The third and most recent season of American Crime Story, Impeachment looks into yet another high profile and scandalous case in the 90s. This time, it focused on the scandal involving Bill Clinton and the White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
The season stars Clive Owen as Bill Clinton and Beanie Feldstein as Monica Lewinsky. The show spans across the ’90s as it follows their relationship and the people around them. Focusing on the figures’ rise and fall over the years, the season was a rollercoaster of emotions as some relived this dramatization of a scandal they only knew on the newspapers and television sets at the time.
