The Elephant Man, Blue Jean, and Labyrinth
Bowie played Joseph Merrick in Broadway’s The Elephant Man, which he did wearing no stage make-up. His expressive performance earned him much praise. After all, he played the part 157 times between 1980 and 1981. Bowie also did a 21-minute short film called Jazzin’ for Blue Jean in 1984 to promote the single Blue Jean.
Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon / Paramount / Nvp / Red Hour / Village R’Show / Kobal / Shutterstock
The short film won Bowie his only Grammy award while he was still alive (he won others posthumously). Other roles included the hitman Colin in the 1985 John Landis film Into the Night and Goblin King in Jim Henson’s dark musical fantasy Labyrinth. But he declined the role of the villain Max Zorin in James Bond: A View to a Kill in 1985.