Let the conclave begin. On Wednesday, the ancient ritual to elect the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church kicks off in Vatican City. And as we know from the wildly popular film Conclave, everything about the papacy is cinematic: the mystery, the sacred vestments, and, above all, the dramatic way a new pontiff’s selection is announced via the release of white smoke.
Plenty of great films have focused on the process of announcing a new pope. But even more movies (and at a few TV shows, too) have focused more broadly on charismatic pontiffs played by a variety of actors at the top of their game. Jonathan Pryce was witty; Jeremy Irons was scheming; Peter O’Toole was corrupt, Liv Ullman was secretly a woman; and Jude Law made history as the first Holy Father to rock a Speedo. When the pope is relegated to a secondary or supporting role, though, he’s often portrayed as an antagonist. Such is the case with Rex Harrison, who plays a stiff and dull Julius II in The Torment and the Ecstasy—a character constantly berated by Charlton Heston’s Michelangelo.
As we wait for the white smoke to rise, let’s look back at the 10 best actors who have played the pope—starting with Harrison.
10. Rex Harrison as Pope Julius II in The Torment and The Ecstasy (1965)
Harrison plays the austere and boring “Warrior Pope” in Carol Reed’s film. His character duels with Heston’s impetuous Michelangelo, who is engaged in the titanic task of painting a fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
9. Raf Vallone as Pope John Paul I in The Godfather Part III (1990)
Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) confesses his gravest sins to Cardinal Lamberto, a fictional character deeply troubled by the crimes he has heard. He will become a fictional version of Pope John Paul I, someone determined to confront the scandals and corruption rocking the Vatican, just as his real-life namesake did—or at least tried to.
8. Michel Piccoli as the Pope in Habemus Papam (2011)
Peter’s successor carries the weight of the entire Catholic world on his shoulders. In this film, Nanni Moretti offers an ironic portrait of a fragile pontiff: Cardinal Melville, who is elected pope against his will and succumbs to the anguish of the role, overwhelmed by sudden stage fright.
7. Anthony Quinn as Pope Kiril I in The Man from the Kremlin (1968)
Set during the Cold War, this film chronicles the extraordinary rise of Kiril Lakota, a Ukrainian archbishop freed after years of imprisonment in Soviet gulags. Upon arriving in Rome, he is unexpectedly elected pope.
6. Johanna Wokalek as Pope Joan in The Papess (2009).
What about the patriarchy of Catholic rule? The German actress stars here as a mythical papess who, according to legend, ruled the Church for two years in the 9th century, concealing her identity as a woman.
5. Paolo Stoppa as Pope Pius VII in Il Marchese del Grillo (1981)
This pontiff observes decadent Rome with ironic detachment. Amid the pranks of Marquis Onofrio (Alberto Sordi), his Pius VII is the symbol of a creaking power. Stoppa offers a humane and disenchanted portrait, playing a pope who, rather than ruling, seems to resist amidst corrupt nobles.
4. Jonathan Pryce as Pope Francis in The Two Popes (2019)
Jonathan Pryce’s beautifully empathetic and wry performance as Pope Francis (who is still, for much of the film, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio) probably helped shape the memory of the most recent Holy Father, at least for the secular world. The future pope is humble but troubled, with a folksy touch that irritates the then-reigning pontiff—stern and conservative Benedict XVI, played by Anthony Hopkins.
3. Peter O’Toole as Pope Paul III in The Tudors (2007)
The Holy Grail of the Showtime series. The drama needed an actor of extraordinary caliber to play the corrupt Pope Paul III, who was capable of sustaining a confrontation with Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) during his attempt to divorce Catherine of Aragon. Henry’s challenge to the pontiff, and his resulting break with the Catholic Church, mark one of the most momentous turning points in world history.
2. Jeremy Irons as Pope Alexander VI in The Borgias (2011)
Winner of three Emmys, this Canadian series created by Neil Jordan tells the murky story of one of the most powerful and corrupt dynasties of the Renaissance. The plot follows the rise of charismatic patriarch Rodrigo Borgia to the papacy, revealing a world marked by intrigue, sex and blood, all under the shadow of the Vatican.
1. Jude Law as Pope Pius XIII in The Young Pope (2016)
Jude law deserve all the white smoke in Paolo Sorrentino’s dramedy. His Lenny Belardo is devoted to tobacco, and gives us the sinful vision of a muscular pontiff walking on the beach, dressed only in a bathing suit.
The post Top of the Popes: 10 Actors That Would Ace Our Conclave appeared first on Vanity Fair.
