He would need to do that here, for sure.
Caliban is a slave, which might be a problem for the actor. He is also a drunkard in some scenes, calling for understanding and a physical presence, too. Foxx has the physique necessary for this assignment, too. He could certainly carry off wearing a loin-cloth and cloak, as the wood-carrying scene seems to require. He is a master of both physical and mental acting, and that would be important with this character, who can be both brutal and endearing. There could be a problem with Foxx. Caliban requires an actor who can be both commanding and very subservient. He is fearful of "spirits." "Here comes a spirit of his, and to torment me" (Shakespeare 77, 15), and he offers to lick Trinculo's foot simply for a drink. "I will kiss thy foot" (Shakespeare 85, 155). Whoever plays Caliban has to represent many personalities. Strong enough to conspire, and meek enough to follow, and Foxx seems like the best.
Trinculo: This is a minor part, and so, an infamous actor probably wouldn't want to do it. However, the part has some bright spots. Trinculo could be shown bravely "swimming to shore like a duck" (Shakespeare 85, 133), setting the stage for the action to come. He should be good-looking, and not too smart, but not too ignorant either. Perhaps a good choice here would be singer Nick Lachey. He would certainly appeal to younger audiences, and since much of the time he appears on stage, he has to appear drunk, he might be appealing as a good-looking, yet brooding drunkard. He also has to seem greedy and scheming,...
Thus, Trinculo is a shallow character, and using too experienced or in-depth actor would really ruin his character. It would be easy to see Nick Lachey playing this part, and really getting into the sub-plot of the three co-conspirators working to rid the island of the other "tribes" so they can have it all for themselves. Nick is also resourceful enough that he might even lead his tribe in attempting to build some kind of raft or other transportation to get them off the island and back to real civilization. Adapting the character of Trinculo to a modern-day setting would not be as difficult as some of the other characters, and so it would probably not be such a stretch for Nick. Trinculo is the perfect blend of innocence and diabolical, and so, he would be a fun character to play, and a fun character to give a little more depth to. He might even have to engage is some physical action such as when he thinks about beating Caliban ("I could find in my heart to beat him -- " [Shakespeare 85, 161-162]), and so, the role could also use Nick's appeal with the young female audience to get his shirt off and engage in some good-natured fighting on the beach.
References
Shakespeare, William. "The…
