With production on the Tonya Harding biopic I, Tonya currently progressing, Margot Robbie's transformation into the titular bad girl of history has made some waves in the set photos floating around the internet. So naturally, the casting of her historical rival/victim, Nancy Kerrigan, is going to be equally as important when it comes to properly selling the movie as a whole. Which is one of the reasons why we're slightly concerned with the casting of Caitlin Carver in the role of Kerrigan, as the resemblance isn't exactly striking.
Deadline made the announcement that Carver, who was recently seen in Rules Don't Apply, as well as in previous roles in Paper Towns, ABC's Oil and Freeform's The Fosters, would be on the opposite side of history as the famed figure skater. I, Tonya is set to focus mostly on the Harding/Kerrigan incident, in which Tonya Harding's ex-husband hired someone to try and disable Nancy Kerrigan before competing at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. While Kerrigan bounced back to compete, Harding would be prosecuted for her role in the plot and eventually find herself disgraced out of the world of figure skating.
Though there are some reservations about Caitlin Carver's resemblance to Nancy Kerrigan, there are two factors that mitigate these fears we might have. The first, and most obvious, is the fact that the film is more focused on Tonya Harding's life and scandals, which is further highlighted by the casting of Designated Survivor's Mckenna Grace as the younger version of Harding. All materials we've read involving this project have us thinking that Nancy Kerrigan's role in the film will be supporting at best, and minor in the most extreme scenario. Also, the title is kind of a dead giveaway, though there could still be room for more of Kerrigan's role, depending on how the story's being told.
But even if Nancy Kerrigan, and by proxy Caitlin Carver, plays a larger role in I, Tonya, it really doesn't matter because, as Michael Fassbender will tell you, physical resemblance doesn't matter all that much. Also, Margot Robbie wasn't cast as Tonya Harding because they are twins. No doubt, Robbie was cast because she's a big, beautiful star, and stars help sell movie tickets on opening weekend. Ultimately, it'll be Carver's and Robbie's performances that make or break their roles in the film. If Carver's work on TV is any indication, as seen in this clip from The Fosters, she looks like she's got the crying component she'll need down to a tee.
We'll have to wait and see how well I, Tonya uses Caitlin Carver's acting abilities until the film is released at some point in 2018. Do you think Carver can pull off the likeness of Nancy Kerrigan? Let us know in the Comments below.
