14 Actors We'd Cast to Play These Olympic Athletes in the Movie of Their Lives

Updated on Aug 19, 2016 at 12:45 PM

With each passing day of the Summer Olympics in Rio, we started noticing something funny. No, it's not Michael Phelps's angry face or Leslie Jones live-tweeting the events — it's the fact that so many of the athletes who competed this August bear pretty striking resemblances to some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Just in case a movie version of any of these Olympians' lives ever comes to fruition, we decided to whip up a fantasy cast list. See which actors would be perfect to play everyone from Michael Phelps to Simone Biles below.

Ryan Lochte Played by Matt Lanter

Swimming superstar Ryan Lochte has the same dimples and charming grin as 90210 actor Matt Lanter.

Kerri Lee Walsh Played by Laura Linney

With her blond hair, blue eyes, and bright smile, Genius actress Laura Linney could easily fill the shorts of volleyball player Kerri Lee Walsh.

Simone Biles Played by Skai Jackson

Fourteen-year-old Bunk'd actress Skai Jackson might seem a little to young to play Simone Biles, but we think her energetic personality would be a great fit for a movie version of the gymnastics phenom.

Steve Johnson Played by Theo James

American tennis player Steve Johnson's scruff and squint make him the spitting image of Theo James.

Tom Daley Played by Stephen Colletti

British diver Tom Daley has the same look of Laguna Beach heartthrob (and brief One Tree Hill star) Stephen Colletti.

Aly Raisman Played by Shailene Woodley

Aly Raisman has been killing it as one of the Final Five for the USA's women's gymnastics team, and we think Shailene Woodley could bring the same strong vulnerability (yes, that's a thing) to playing Aly as she did while playing Hazel Grace in The Fault in Our Stars.

David Boudia Played by Paul Wesley

Paul Wesley regularly smolders on our screens in The Vampire Diaries, and his resemblance to supercute American diver David Boudia can't be ignored.

Simone Manuel Played by Keke Palmer

Simone Manuel made history as the first black woman to take home a medal in an individual swimming event (she nabbed gold, by the way), and Scream Queens scream queen Keke Palmer's undeniable spunk would make for an excellent portrayal of the now-iconic swim champ.

Katie Ledecky Played by Saoirse Ronan

Saoirse Ronan nearly broke our hearts in Brooklyn, and we have a feeling she'd bring her A-game to a movie about gold medal swimming champion Katie Ledecky.

Usain Bolt Played by Jay Pharoah

Hear us out — Jay Pharoah might be known for his comedic savvy on Saturday Night Live, but we think a serious sports flick about Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt could catapult his career into an amazing direction.

Andy Murray Played by Andrew Garfield

Andy Murray is a cute, scruffy Scottish tennis player. Andrew Garfield is a cute, scruffy British actor. Something about this just works.

Laurie Hernandez Played by Jamila Velazquez

If Empire's Jamila Velazquez can flip on a balance beam as well as she can belt out songs, she'd slay a movie about gymnast Laurie Hernandez.

Michael Phelps Played by Joel David Moore

Michael Phelps is the GOAT. It's hard to imagine anyone playing him, to be honest. If someone did, though, Joel David Moore has the height and the endearing goofiness that makes the fish-human hybrid such a hit (in addition to his massive stockpile of gold medals, obviously).

Brady Ellison Played by Leonardo DiCaprio

Has Leonardo DiCaprio taken his incognito shtick even further by pretending to be Olympic archer Brady Ellison? They look so much alike we'd believe it.