Post by brimfin on Apr 2, 2021 20:15:25 GMT
13 Actors who were rejected for huge movies. Short explanation if needed.
01. W. C. Fields - THE WIZARD OF OZ - the studio ran out of patience after protracted haggling over Fields' fee.
02. James Arness - DAVY CROCKETT: KING OF THE WILD FRONTIER - Walt Disney had decided on Buddy Ebsen to play Davy Crockett and was considering James Arness to play his friend George Russel. To judge Arness, he screened his recent movie THEM. During the movie, he saw Fess Parker as a man in a hospital room talking about having seen giant ants. "If he's as tall as he looks," Walt declared, "I want him to play Davy Crockett." He kept Buddy to play George Russel, and Arness was out altogether.
03. Kirk Douglas - LAWRENCE OF ARABIA - Douglas was considered for the part of the journalist Jackson Bentley, but was rejected by Spiegel over star billing and salary issues.
04. Angela Lansbury - MAME - She created a sensation on Broadway in the role, and when it was slated to become a movie she met with the producers. She left the meeting feeling optimistic but on her way out she observed Lucille Ball entering. She immediately knew that the role was lost.
05. Julie Andrews - MY FAIR LADY - Although she was a sensation in the same role on the stage, she was not yet a big enough name for the marquee at the time and Audrey Hepburn (whose singing was dubbed!) got the part instead.
06. Sophia Loren - DR. ZHVAGO - David Lean convinced Ponti that Loren was not right for the role of Lara.
07. Buddy Ebsen - THE WIZARD OF OZ - He was originally tapped to play the Scarecrow, but when Ray Bolger became available, he was switched to the Tin Man. But he had an allergic reaction to the gray paint they put on his face so then he was out entirely.
08. Katharine Hepburn - GONE WITH THE WIND - My own humble opinion is that regardless of her immense talent and acting abilities she would have been miscast in any role in the movie. That aside, as the story goes, Selznick was none-the-less unimpressed and is reported to have responded to her audition by saying, "I can't image Rhett Butler chasing you for twelve years." Ouch!
09. Eric Stoltz - BACK TO THE FUTURE - Eric was originally cast as Marty McFly and some scenes were shot, but he wasn't conveying the character they way they wanted. When Michael J. Fox became available, they were more than happy to re-shoot those scenes and start over. In an episode of FRINGE, a theater on the parallel Earth was running a retrospective and had "Eric Stolz - Back to the Future" on the marquis.
10. Susan Hayward - ALL ABOUT EVE - rejected by Zanuck as being "too young".
11. Sean Young - BATMAN RETURNS - She desperately campaigned for the Catwoman role, even donning a costume and trying to force a meeting with Tim Burton at his office. Burton hid in another room until she was escorted out. She wasn't offered the part which eventually went to Michelle Pfeiffer.
12. Mark Hamill - AMADEUS - Miloš Forman decided to not cast him because of his association with the character of Luke Skywalker, believing that the audience would not believe him as the composer.
13. Roy Thinnes - FAMILY PLOT - Thinnes was originally cast to play the man who kidnaps the bishop, but Hitchcock felt he didn't convey enough menace, and so replaced him with William Devane.
Ufg
01. W. C. Fields - THE WIZARD OF OZ - the studio ran out of patience after protracted haggling over Fields' fee.
02. James Arness - DAVY CROCKETT: KING OF THE WILD FRONTIER - Walt Disney had decided on Buddy Ebsen to play Davy Crockett and was considering James Arness to play his friend George Russel. To judge Arness, he screened his recent movie THEM. During the movie, he saw Fess Parker as a man in a hospital room talking about having seen giant ants. "If he's as tall as he looks," Walt declared, "I want him to play Davy Crockett." He kept Buddy to play George Russel, and Arness was out altogether.
03. Kirk Douglas - LAWRENCE OF ARABIA - Douglas was considered for the part of the journalist Jackson Bentley, but was rejected by Spiegel over star billing and salary issues.
04. Angela Lansbury - MAME - She created a sensation on Broadway in the role, and when it was slated to become a movie she met with the producers. She left the meeting feeling optimistic but on her way out she observed Lucille Ball entering. She immediately knew that the role was lost.
05. Julie Andrews - MY FAIR LADY - Although she was a sensation in the same role on the stage, she was not yet a big enough name for the marquee at the time and Audrey Hepburn (whose singing was dubbed!) got the part instead.
06. Sophia Loren - DR. ZHVAGO - David Lean convinced Ponti that Loren was not right for the role of Lara.
07. Buddy Ebsen - THE WIZARD OF OZ - He was originally tapped to play the Scarecrow, but when Ray Bolger became available, he was switched to the Tin Man. But he had an allergic reaction to the gray paint they put on his face so then he was out entirely.
08. Katharine Hepburn - GONE WITH THE WIND - My own humble opinion is that regardless of her immense talent and acting abilities she would have been miscast in any role in the movie. That aside, as the story goes, Selznick was none-the-less unimpressed and is reported to have responded to her audition by saying, "I can't image Rhett Butler chasing you for twelve years." Ouch!
09. Eric Stoltz - BACK TO THE FUTURE - Eric was originally cast as Marty McFly and some scenes were shot, but he wasn't conveying the character they way they wanted. When Michael J. Fox became available, they were more than happy to re-shoot those scenes and start over. In an episode of FRINGE, a theater on the parallel Earth was running a retrospective and had "Eric Stolz - Back to the Future" on the marquis.
10. Susan Hayward - ALL ABOUT EVE - rejected by Zanuck as being "too young".
11. Sean Young - BATMAN RETURNS - She desperately campaigned for the Catwoman role, even donning a costume and trying to force a meeting with Tim Burton at his office. Burton hid in another room until she was escorted out. She wasn't offered the part which eventually went to Michelle Pfeiffer.
12. Mark Hamill - AMADEUS - Miloš Forman decided to not cast him because of his association with the character of Luke Skywalker, believing that the audience would not believe him as the composer.
13. Roy Thinnes - FAMILY PLOT - Thinnes was originally cast to play the man who kidnaps the bishop, but Hitchcock felt he didn't convey enough menace, and so replaced him with William Devane.
Ufg