If proof was ever needed that truth can be stranger than fiction then you only need to look to the star-studded cast of Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut, Molly’s Game. With Jessica Chastain in the lead role, the cast list included Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Chris O’Dowd, Jeremy Strong and Graham Greene amongst many others. But the real story lies in who these actors are really representing from the worlds of sport, music and movies.
For anyone who’s not seen the movie, the plot is quite a simple one and tells the story of a real-life person, Molly Bloom, who went from being a potential Olympic skier to the organiser of illegal gambling rings in Los Angeles and New York.
The story unfolds
The film begins with Bloom’s sporting dreams being crushed by injury after which she becomes a waitress in LA. In the course of her work she meets a real estate developer who also runs poker parties on the side. First becoming his assistant, and then running the parties for him, Bloom is introduced to the world of high stakes gambling involving celebrities and other high rollers. Although she initially knows nothing about the game, or the poker terms the players use in her company, she soon gains a firm understanding and becomes particularly close to a character called Player X.
Breaking away to run her own games in LA, soon Bloom is making a fortune until, one day, she gets angry with Player X for deliberately humiliating another less able player. She is soon abandoned by him, along with the rest of the LA players so decides to move to New York.
Over on the East Coast she quickly builds up another circle of rich players but, fearful that one day the high stakes they play for will ruin her, she starts taking a percentage of the pot for herself, an illegal move.
At this point she is first investigated by the FBI following the arrest of one of her LA players for their involvement in a so-called Ponzi scheme and this ends her business. She is later indicted by the FBI and prosecuted for running an illegal betting ring but escapes prison receiving only a $200,000 fine.
Along with the great performances from all of the cast, the film was also praised for the accuracy of the poker scenes. These were made to be ultra-realistic thanks to director Sorkin’s recruitment of genuine poker players as extras. It’s even been reported that they continued to play each other, for real money, between takes.
The real-life characters behind the fiction
But perhaps the greatest speculation that the film generated was about which real life celebrities were being represented by the actors on screen. In the book that she wrote about her story, and on which the film is based, the real-life Molly Bloom spilt no secrets but a number of names have since emerged.
The greatest focus has been on the real identity of the mysterious and very forceful Player X. In the film he appears to be an arch manipulator for whom the money is of secondary importance to the power that he could yield. It’s since emerged that the most likely candidate is Tobey Maguire. In fact, others who had lost large sums of money to the Spiderman star were pretty open about it, as well as his evident pleasure at getting the better of them.
As you’d expect, Maguire was also keen to use his contacts in Hollywood to get so real A-listers involved. This wasn’t so much because he wanted to beat them, but more so they could act as bait to lure in what are known as fish in poker circles – players who don’t really have the first clue about the game and who are easy to beat. Another star almost certain to have been involved is Leonard DiCaprio. Although not a serious gambler in his own right, he has been seen in a casino or two.
One celebrity who definitely played a part, and who certainly does like to try his luck, is Ben Affleck and Bloom herself has confirmed that he turned up on more than one occasion. Although probably better known for playing blackjack, maybe his fall from grace following a card-counting incident in a Las Vegas casino is what led him to private poker parties instead.
Music and sports stars too
From the world of music, rappers Nelly and Irv were also frequent visitors to Bloom’s parties and amongst sports people probably the biggest of the names was the retired New York Yankees player Alex Rodriguez. Although not as glamorous as a Hollywood A lister he undoubtedly added to the party. As Bloom herself has been quoted as saying, “Men, no matter what age, ilk, or net worth, idolize a professional athlete. As they recognized him (Rodriguez), they turned into excitable little boys.”
The one character in the film who is definitely 100% a work of fiction is the lawyer who goes on to defend Bloom when she is finally taken to court. In real life this was a man called Jim Walden but, in the movie, Idris Elba took the role as a character called Charlie Jaffrey.
If you haven’t seen the film and would like to get under the skin of the high stake’s world of poker, this is your ideal opportunity – and you may even spot a thinly disguised celebrity that we’ve missed in our brief round-up.
Gilroy launched his directing career with one of the strongest debuts of the 21st century, "Michael Clayton" (2007), before following it with two lesser efforts, "Duplicity" (2009) and "The Bourne Legacy" (2012).