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Notstarring.com...the greatest what-if site ever

Gary

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Damnit, this site is fascinating

-Frank Sinatra turned down the lead roles for "Death Wish" and "Dirty Harry". Other actors who turned down "Dirty Harry" where Steve McQueen (it was originally going to be a sequel to "Bullitt", but McQueen said he didn't do sequels), Paul Newman, John Wayne and Robert Mitchum (who found the script abhorrent)

-Roger Moore and Michael Caine were considered for "The Day of the Jackal" (one of the best political thrillers of all time IMO)
 

Brocklock

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There were a ton of actors considered for The Penguin in Batman Returns, but the weirdest to me is Dean Martin. I can't buy him in that role one second. He might've worked as a boozier Max Shreck.

Charles Grodin as The Penguin is another weird one. And then Phil Collins being considered might be the weirdest near pick of all of them. Quite an eclectic group overall

Dustin Hoffman was originally the first choice to play the Penguin, but he declined. Apart from Hoffman, Marlon Brando, John Candy, Bob Hoskins, Ralph Waite, Dean Martin, Dudley Moore, Alan Rickman, John Goodman, Phil Collins, Charles Grodin, Christopher Lee, Joe Pesci, Ray Liotta, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Rocco and Christopher Lloyd were all considered for the part before DeVito got it.[8]
 

Gary

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-Christopher Walken, Jon Voigt and Jack Nicolson were all considered to play the protagonist in "Exorcist II"

-Jason Statham almost had a role in "Dog Soldiers", but turned it down to do "Ghosts of Mars"

-Brooke Shields, Sharon Stone, Eve Plumb, Kim Bassinger, Jaimie Lee Curtis, Melanie Griffith and Laura Dern all auditioned or where considered to play Reagan in "The Exorcist". Carol Burnett and Jane Fonda were considered to play her mother.

-Cameron Diaz was going to play Sonya Blade in the first "Mortal Kombat" movie, but injured her wrist.

-Diaz was also considered to play Clarice in "Hannibal". Other actors who were considered include Gillian Anderson, Christina Applegate, Kate Beckinsale, Cate Blanchett, Helen Hunt, Lucy Liu, Jenifer Jason Leigh, Angelina Jolie, Alyssa Milano, Gwenyth Paltrow and Denise Richards. John Malkovich and Tim Roth considered to play Hannibal if Anthony Hopkins turned the role down, and Christopher Reeves was considered for the role of Verger.

-Sting was considered to play the Dutch Businessman in "Hostel".
 

King Kamala

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Charles Grodin as The Penguin is another weird one. And then Phil Collins being considered might be the weirdest near pick of all of them. Quite an eclectic group overall
Charles Grodin as the Penguin seems crazy enough that it might have worked. Facial structure wise, I think he'd be great cause he kind of has jawline that comic book/TAS penguin has.

Speaking of Phil Collins and The Penguin, in his autobiography, he talks about how in the late '80s/early '90s, he was in talks to star in a live action film adaptation of Goldie Locks & The Three Bears with him, Bob Hoskins, and Danny DeVito as the Three Bears and IIRC Kim Basinger as Goldie Locks. That movie sounds like it'd have been destined to become a minor cult classic. Ah well.
 

HarleyQuinn

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Kate Beckinsale was turned down by Quentin Tarantino for the Mia Wallace role because she was thought to be too young (Beckinsale was 20/21 at the time).

Christina Applegate actually had/was offered the role of Paula in Nell whilst Jodie Foster was slated to direct. After Foster was replaced by Michael Apted as director, Natasha Richardson got the role instead.

Always fascinating to see these hot TV Stars narrowly missing out on such movie roles.
 

strummer

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A few interesting roles that never happened

-Mick Jagger wanted to play Dr Frank'Furter in "Rocky Horror"

-Not mentioned on the site, but Ken Russell wanted Jagger to play the Cardinel for "The Devils". Also, according to the site, Barbara Streisand turned down a role for the movie, and the idea of her in a movie with topless nuns writhing around in ecstasy is something else.

-John Denver was offered the lead role for "An Officer and a Gentleman", but he didn't like the script.

-Not casting, but George Lucas considered directing "Apocalypse Now"

Francis Coppola has mentioned that Lucas was originally set to direct Apocalypse but chose .Star .Wars instead. Coppola was actually considered to direct Star Wars but backed out last minute. He chose Apocalypse instead obvs. The Han Solo character was based on FFC according to Lucas as Lucas worked as an assistant to FFC in the 60s and early 70s.
 

strummer

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Lucas has said that he's a pessimist by heart and kinda is a negative person but
FFC was the opposite. Coppola was the maverick director who flipped off the studios. Han represented the traits Lucas always wanted to have
 

BruiserBrody

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[quote author=BRODY link=topic=7317.msg606823#msg6
Damnit, this site is fascinating

-Frank Sinatra turned down the lead roles for "Death Wish" and "Dirty Harry". Other actors who turned down "Dirty Harry" where Steve McQueen (it was originally going to be a sequel to "Bullitt", but McQueen said he didn't do sequels), Paul Newman, John Wayne and Robert Mitchum (who found the script abhorrent)

-Roger Moore and Michael Caine were considered for "The Day of the Jackal" (one of the best political thrillers of all time IMO)
IIRC Wayne was mad that he didn't take the Dirty Harry part so he tried his own with the instantly forgettable McQ.
 

Gary

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IIRC Wayne was mad that he didn't take the Dirty Harry part so he tried his own with the instantly forgettable McQ.
That is true. I'm actually surprisded he turned it down, considering his politics and whatnot. I could see him not being thrilled with it's sequels take on police overreach.
 
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