Not that audiences necessarily want to see a documentary about Erin Brockovich. They want to see Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich. For actors, it's a chance to stretch themselves across a huge dramatic canvas. Although it sounds like a clich , it often allows actors to portray a gamut of emotions. They tend to be meaty roles and have ingredients that impress the academy, including eccentricity and flamboyance.
Reality also injects power into a story.
There's twice as much impact, the 'oomph' of the picture and the 'Oh, my God, this is real' reaction. It makes sense they would be attracted to such performances, especially those that portray a troubled artist, such as Harris as alcoholic painter Jackson Pollock. The types of lives being mined for script material have evolved through the years. Then the Bonnie and Clyde gang shot up the biopic rules. The saga of Depression-era outlaws that tapped into the rebelliousness of the Vietnam era collected acting nominations for Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway and Gene Hackman, plus a win for supporting actress Estelle Parsons.