Summary
- The biopic drama "BlackBerry" tells the fascinating true story of the rise and fall of the famous smartphone company.
- Actors Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton lead the energetic cast in portraying the main BlackBerry characters, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie.
- The film explores the downfall of BlackBerry, largely attributed to the success of Apple's iPhone, and has sparked interest in learning more about the real-life characters involved.
The real-life BlackBerry characters associated with the demise of BlackBerry phones are brought to life with the terrific ensemble that helped make the movie a surprise hit. Matt Johnson’s biopic drama BlackBerry depicts the story of Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, two tech entrepreneurs who were integral to the rise and fall of the title company, which skyrocketed to success as the pioneer of the smartphone before meeting a catastrophic end in the 2010s.
The true story of BlackBerry’s downfall begins in the 1990s before coming to an abrupt end in 2016, with the company’s failure largely being attributed to the success of Apple’s revolutionary iPhone launches. Throughout these time jumps BlackBerry maintains its lead cast as they tackle the tech personas across various eras, with actors Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton leading the energetic tale. It is a fascinating true story of the business world which has led many people to want to learn more about the main BlackBerry characters.
BlackBerry Ending Explained
BlackBerry was about the rise & fall of the company that brought the phone to life. We break down the film's ending & what happened to the characters.
Mike Lazaridis
Played By Jay Baruchel
Mike Lazaridis is portrayed by actor Jay Baruchel in Blackberry. In real life, Lazaridis was the former founder and co-CEO of BlackBerry, who became one of the wealthiest people in the world at the company’s height. Lazaridis also founded an investment company to fund research on quantum information science and is still regarded today as the father of the smartphone only for iPhone to kill the BlackBerry.
BlackBerry actor Jay Baruchel is also most for voicing Hiccup Haddock in How to Train Your Dragon, starring in TV series like Man Seeking Woman and Undeclared, as well as his comedy roles in movies like Knocked Up, She’s Out of My League, Tropic Thunder, and This Is the End.
Jim Balsillie
Played By Glenn Howerton
Glenn Howerton stars in BlackBerry’s biopic as Jim Balsillie. Depicted as the cut-throat businessman in the movie, the real Jim Balsillie was hired by Lazaridis as they shaped the title company, which included making Balsillie co-CEO of BlackBerry. While Lazaridis focused on the tech and innovation of the company, Balsillie maintained the business side of the venture until both resigned from their CEO positions around the company’s downfall.
Glenn Howerton is best known for playing Dennis Reynolds on the long-running sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The actor has also appeared in That ‘80s Show, Fargo, A.P. Bio, and The Mindy Project.
Carl Yankowski
Played By Cary Elwes
In BlackBerry, Carl Yankowski is a well-known businessman and the CEO of Palm Inc., a tech company specializing in personal data assistants, an early smartphone model, and developing software. The company was a key rival of BlackBerry, making Yankowski an important figure in the bigger picture of Balsillie and Lazaridis’ eventual downfall at BlackBerry. Cary Elwes is most notable for his roles in The Princess Bride, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Stranger Things season 3, Saw, and Glory.
Douglas Fregin
Played By Matt Johnson
Writer-director Matt Johnson also stars in BlackBerry as Douglas Fregin, the co-founder of BlackBerry with Lazaridis. Until retiring in 2007, Fregin remained BlackBerry’s vice president of operations and later co-founded an investment company with Lazaridis. Matt Johnson also directed The Dirties, Operation Avalanche, and Nirvana the Band the Show.
BlackBerry ing Cast & Characters
Other Of The BlackBerry Team And Various Business Rivals
Michael Ironside as Charles Purdy: With a cut-throat business mindset similar to Jim Balsillie, Charles Purdy is the Chief Operating Officer in Blackberry. Ironside is well-known for typically playing villains and tough guy hero roles, not unlike his gruff portrayal of Purdy. Ironside has also appeared in Top Gun, Total Recall, Free Willy, X-Men: First Class, and Nobody.
Rich Sommer as Paul Stannos: An engineer who is recruited by BlackBerry from Google after being offered a large sum of money by Jim Balsillie. BlackBerry character Paul Stannos is played by Rich Sommer, who is notable for his appearances in movies and shows like Mad Men, The Devil Wears Prada, The Office, Elementary, and Celeste and Jesse Forever.
SungWon Choo as Ritchie Cheung: Ritchie comes to BlackBerry after working for Motorolla, as the character had similarly been recruited for a large sum by Balsillie. Ritchie Cheung is portrayed by SungWon Choo, who is better known as a voice actor and YouTuber. Choo’s other notable acting credits include voice roles in Record of Ragnarok, Ranking of Kings, One Piece, and Craig of the Creek.
Saul Rubinek as John Woodman: A notable skeptical of the company’s tech until Jim Balsillie convinces him otherwise. Rubinek is best known for his roles in Hunters, Warehouse 13, Frasier, The Last Tycoon, Wall Street, and True Romance.
Michelle Giroux as Dara Frankel: An investigator looking into BlackBerry’s hiring of technicians under false pretenses who is crucial to the movie’s depiction of the company’s downfall. Giroux has also appeared in Black Mirror’s “Arkangel” episode, Life in a Year, and Delia’s Gone.
Mark Critch as Gary Bettman: The commissioner of the NHL who becomes involved in Balsillie’s intentions to buy a hockey franchise. Critch is best known as a writer for This Hour Has 22 Minutes, as well as an actor in Son of a Critch, Republic of Doyle, and Satisfaction.
Samantha Brown as Heidi Balsillie: The wife of Glenn Howerton’s character Jim Balsillie. Brown’s other acting credits include roles in Y: The Last Man, Splatalot, and Chucky.
Ben Petrie as Allan Lewis: One of the original architects behind the BlackBerry system. BlackBerry cast member Ben Petrie is the director of several short films like Her Friend Adam and Nice is Cool.
