14 DAY TRIAL // The most qualified person in the world to rate the 1-minute "jOBS" clip released yesterday, Steve Wozniak says the whole thing is wrong – the personalities, the dialog, pretty much the whole story.
In April 2011, the media caught wind of an indie Steve Jobs biopic starring Ashton Kutcher as the leading man.
Producer Mark Hulme revealed in an interview that Kutcher was extremely excited about the role, meeting with people who knew Steve Jobs to get into the character.
“He’s working with professionals to get inside the voice. He’s letting his hair grow out. I understand he’s canceled all meetings and actually canceled all other projects,” said Hulme. “He believes the role was meant for him.”
Unfortunately for Mark Hulme, Five Star Institute, and Ashton Kutcher himself, the movie is already off to a bad start.
After watching the one-minute jOBS teaser released online yesterday, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak – portrayed by actor Josh Gad in the upcoming biopic – revealed to the press that everything from the dialog to the characters featured in the footage is wrong.
“Not close...we never had such interaction and roles...I'm not even sure what it's getting at...personalities are very wrong although mine is closer,” he said.
“Don't forget that my purpose was inspired by the values of the Homebrew Computer Club along with ideas of the value of such machines and Steve J. wasn't around and didn't attend the club so he was the one learning about such social impact of the future,” Wozniak revealed in a Gizmodo comment.
He clarified in an email conversation with the site that the roles were exactly the opposite back in the 70s.
“Totally wrong. Personalities and where the ideas of computers affecting society did not come from Jobs. They inspired me and were widely spoken at the Homebrew Computer Club,” Wozniak wrote, adding after a few paragraphs, “The lofty talk came much further down the line.”
Wozniak also noted that he was never so well dressed and that his relationship with Jobs back then was infinitely different than what’s portrayed in the jOBS biopic.
“I never looked like a professional. We were both kids. Our relationship was so different than what was portrayed. I'm embarrassed but if the movie is fun and entertaining, all the better. Anyone who reads my book iWoz can get a clearer picture,” the Apple co-founder said.
Editor’s note: What a shame! There’s probably no other actor out there who resembles the real Jobs more than Ashton Kutcher.
If the story doesn’t nail it (which is pretty much the essence of the film), we’ll probably have to turn our attention to the upcoming Sony picture written by Aaron Sorkin. Hopefully, the famous playwright (think Social Network) won’t make up stories that never took place. It’s pretty important for Apple fans to get the historical facts spot on.