Emmy-nominated Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood will portray Madonna in WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story, a Roku Original movie about the life and career of famed parody singer “Weird Al” Yankovic that stars Daniel Radcliffe as Al.
A still released from the film shows Wood as the Queen of Pop circa 1984 or 1985.
Roku also announced that The Office vet Rainn Wilson was also added to the cast as DJ Barry Hansen, best known as Dr. Demento; Mare of Easttown Emmy winner Julianne Nicholson will play Al’s mom Mary Yankovic, and Dickinson‘s Toby Huss will play Al’s father Nick.
As for why Madonna is in the film, it likely has something to do with the fact that after her song “Like a Virgin” became a hit, she wondered to an acquaintance when Al would turn it into “Like a Surgeon.” The acquaintance knew Al’s manager and told him what Madonna had said, and the manager brought it up to Al.
In 1985, Al released “Like a Surgeon” — in the only instance of Al getting a parody idea directly from the artist who he was parodying.
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