Great Movie Casting "Misses"

CYCLNST8

Well-Known Member
Jul 19, 2008
10,916
12,421
113
Urbandale
www.gimikk.com
Chis Farley as Shrek

Huey Lewis and The News turned down a request to compose a song for Ghostbusters then sued Ray Parker Jr for composing a bass line similar to “I Want a New Drug.”
 
  • Informative
Reactions: khardbored

madguy30

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2011
50,331
47,208
113
Tom Sellick as Indiana Jones
Jean Claude Van Dam as The Predator

It would have looked like a really bad B movie. And thankfully they scratched the original Predator look too. I think some of the camo shots of Predator are of the old costume though.

Kevin Peter Hall had so much more of a dominant presence. Worked great as Harry and the Hendersons too.

Jean-Claude Van Damme in the original ...

 

enisthemenace

Well-Known Member
Dec 5, 2009
12,966
8,660
113
Runnells, IA
All three of the main characters in Jaws were backups to backups (to backups) and thank god they were. Schneider, Dreyfuss and Shaw were perfect.

Peter Benchley suggested Robert Redford, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen for those parts. Spielberg said no way to that, but he did want John Voight to play Hooper instead of Dreyfuss. He also wanted Sterling Hayden or Lee Marvin for Quint.
 

Gonzo

Well-Known Member
Mar 10, 2009
23,688
26,098
113
Behind you
All three of the main characters in Jaws were backups to backups (to backups) and thank god they were. Schneider, Dreyfuss and Shaw were perfect.

Peter Benchley suggested Robert Redford, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen for those parts. Spielberg said no way to that, but he did want John Voight to play Hooper instead of Dreyfuss. He also wanted Sterling Hayden or Lee Marvin for Quint.
I knew about SS wanting Lee Marvin for Quint, but hadn't heard the others. One of my favorite movies.
 

HFCS

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2010
68,138
55,390
113
LA LA Land
If Tarantino had made his screen play for Natural Botn Killers himself the main character was actually the tv tabloid news reporter and they were going to cast Robert Downey Jr to star.

Would have been 100x better than what we got.
 

FriendlySpartan

Well-Known Member
Jul 26, 2021
5,956
6,450
113
37
Tom cruse was rumored for iron man that’s one of the biggest sliding doors moments in Hollywood history

One of my person one was Brad Pitt turning down the role that went to Billy Crudup in almost famous
 

Sigmapolis

Minister of Economy
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Aug 10, 2011
25,095
37,264
113
Waukee
Frank Sinatra as Dirty Harry instead of Eastwood.

OJ Simpson instead of Ahnold as the Terminator.
 

HFCS

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2010
68,138
55,390
113
LA LA Land
Ok but I'm not talking about actors who were actually cast... I'm talking about roles that ALMOST went to someone who would've been an absolute disaster and likely ruined the appeal of the movie if it had actually happened... like Dustin Hoffman as John Rambo.

Christopher Walken and Al Pacino as Han Solo is a common one of these I hear but not sure how true it is.
 

dahliaclone

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Mar 4, 2007
13,768
20,389
113
Minneapolis
Just read this and had to bring it to light. Apparently when casting First Blood the role of John Rambo was offered to Dustin Hoffman, who turned it down.

There were a lot of actors considered for the role of Rambo. But Dustin Hoffman? All 5'5 and 140 lbs. of him... as John Rambo? That has to be one of the most ridiculous casting suggestions I've ever heard, right up there with Ryan O'Neal as Rocky Balboa.

There are plenty of other great casting "misses" out there, curious if others have found any that they think are particularly egregious.
Michelle Pfiffer turned down Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs because it was too violent.

Sean Connery passed on Gandalf

Drew Berrymore was originally cast as Sidney in Scream but thought she should play the first iconic victim because she was a big name and killing her off would be huge.

Will Smith turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix

Marilyn Monroe turned down the role of Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's

Tom Hanks turned down the title role of Jerry McGuire to do That Thing You Do

Leo DiCaprio turned down Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights

Denzel turned down the role that ultimately went to Morgan Freeman in Se7en.

Josh Hartnett turned down the role of Batman in Nolan's Batman Begins (big mistake and he knows it)

EDIT: I totally read this thread wrong haha sorry
 

cydsho

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Apr 10, 2006
3,895
4,910
113
Omaha, NE
All three of the main characters in Jaws were backups to backups (to backups) and thank god they were. Schneider, Dreyfuss and Shaw were perfect.

Peter Benchley suggested Robert Redford, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen for those parts. Spielberg said no way to that, but he did want John Voight to play Hooper instead of Dreyfuss. He also wanted Sterling Hayden or Lee Marvin for Quint.
That's really interesting.
I think either Lee Marvin or McQueen would have been great as Quint but Shaw was great too.
I could actually see Redford and Newman as they worked so well together in the 70s but it could have made it too much of a "buddy" film? Still, such a great movie as is.
 

MeanDean

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
Jan 5, 2009
13,418
18,329
113
Blue Grass IA-Jensen Beach FL
Tom Hanks turned down the title role of Jerry McGuire to do That Thing You Do

Leo DiCaprio turned down Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights

Denzel turned down the role that ultimately went to Morgan Freeman in Se7en.

Josh Hartnett turned down the role of Batman in Nolan's Batman Begins (big mistake and he knows it)

EDIT: I totally read this thread wrong haha sorry
I think this worked out. At least for my viewing taste.
 

HFCS

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2010
68,138
55,390
113
LA LA Land
That's really interesting.
I think either Lee Marvin or McQueen would have been great as Quint but Shaw was great too.
I could actually see Redford and Newman as they worked so well together in the 70s but it could have made it too much of a "buddy" film? Still, such a great movie as is.

Would've been great either way. A huge part of the success was also just how they shot it and the way Spielberg set up his characters into gritty believable everyday lives, so many copied him that it seems "standard" now. It probably would have made a lot of money with B movie actors.
 

intrepid27

Well-Known Member
Oct 9, 2006
5,732
4,671
113
Marion, IA
All three of the main characters in Jaws were backups to backups (to backups) and thank god they were. Schneider, Dreyfuss and Shaw were perfect.

Peter Benchley suggested Robert Redford, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen for those parts. Spielberg said no way to that, but he did want John Voight to play Hooper instead of Dreyfuss. He also wanted Sterling Hayden or Lee Marvin for Quint.
I agree Dreyfuss nailed the movie. But he is nothing like his character in the book. In the book he is a good looking new college grad that ends up having an affair with Sheriff Brody's wife.
 

cytor

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Nov 20, 2011
6,233
9,602
113
John Travolta was offered the part of Forrest Gump, but took Pulp Fiction role instead.
 

Latest posts

Help Support Us

Become a patron