J. K. Simmons: ‘I’m not a fan of biopics’

J. K. Simmons tends to avoid biopics when it comes to choosing film roles.

The Oscar-winning actor has starred in everything from indie smash hits Juno and Whiplash, to blockbusters like Justice League and Spider-Man, as well as being a regular on the small screen.

However, over the course of his 33 years in front of the camera, Simmons has generally stayed away from biopics – a self-imposed rule he broke for The Front Runner last year.

“I’m just not a fan,” he simply told CinemaBlend about the genre. “I find them at their worst to be just kind of a trap. First of all, you’re telling stories that we know. And second of all, you’re almost always messing with the story in a certain way because it’s going to be from whoever’s point of view, and you’re either trying to glorify or vilify that person.”

The Front Runner tells the story of American Senator Gary Hart's 1988 presidential campaign, which was swiftly derailed when he was caught in a scandalous love affair.

Hugh Jackman took on the role of Hart, with Vera Farmiga playing his wife Lee, Simmons starring as campaign manager Bill Dixon and Jason Reitman directing the feature.

“Whereas with Jason (Reitman), he’s the ideal person to do a biopic like this because he, more than any director I can think of, does not want to tell the audience what to think and how to feel about something,” Simmons continued. “He wants to spark debate, show all sides of an issue and all of its warts and let people draw their own conclusions.”