Elon Musk has been inspiring so many people around the globe. But he is also the inspiration behind the role of villainous bonobo Proximus played by Caesar Kevin Durand in the newest film in the Apes franchise, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Planet of the Apes Actor Kevin Durand Took Inspiration from Elon Musk For His Role
A screenshot from the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes trailer (2024). Image Credit: 20th Century Studios
Well, there’s no doubt the world’s one of the richest people Elon Musk inspired many characters.
Kevin Durand who plays the role of Proximus Caesar— an ape king in an interview with the Inside Total Film podcast said that he was to some extent inspired by Musk.
He said that while developing his character, he looked up to Musk and added “That’s awesome!”
“I mean even with the bonobo face, they compare me to Elon Musk… I get Elon Musk all the time actually, it’s very funny. People approach me with a look in their eye where I realize they are not meeting an actor that they like, it’s something bigger. But the fact that it comes through even when I’m an ape is fantastic!” Durand said in the podcast.
He further added that when he was looking for some charismatic speakers, Musk was one of them.
“I did look at really charismatic speakers — I watched [life coach] Tony Robbins quite a bit, Elon, Arnold Schwarzenegger doing like his governor speeches. Just these humans who, without trying, you just have to watch them, as they hold so much power and charisma.”
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes takes place 300 years after the Andy Serkis–starring reboot trilogy, and stars Owen Teague as new chimp protagonist Noa.
What Fans Say On Kevin Durand’s Remark About Elon Musk?
It is not the first time when Elon Musk became the inspiration for a character. Earlier, he influenced the famous Tony Stark character played by Robert Downey Jr. “Him [Musk], Trump, and maybe a little Steve Jobs,” Mark Fergus, one of the screenwriters of Iron Man said. (Via Esquire)
Lol, guess being super rich and a bit eccentric makes you an easy pick for a movie bad guy. Still, gotta admit Musk does keep things interesting.
— Vicky Cruz (@victoricruzz) May 9, 2024
They actually have weirdly similar faces.
— Basco (@BaskoTaJolokia) May 9, 2024
Proximus has a god complex and abuses his people in order to reach his end goals. Perfect mirroring of Elon:
— 𝐄𝐫𝐢𝐜 (𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒘𝒃𝒐𝒚 𝑬𝒓𝒂) (@EricWaffles) May 9, 2024
He’s also a major inspiration for Tony Stark, one of the biggest heroes in cinema history
— SamJReimer (@SamuelStark93) May 10, 2024
Lmao what a coincidence because the actore playing him, Kevin Durand does look like Elon 😭 pic.twitter.com/JE0kbhh6xL
— Rulf Foxton (@Rulf_Foxton) May 9, 2024
Watched the movie last night, absolutely saw that resemblance.
— Codename #PutinOut (@Codename_tpk) May 10, 2024
We get it. They have similarities in terms of facial structure. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is now showing in theaters.
