Roles that actors REALLY wanted, but didn''t get.

Angela Lansbury said she wanted to do the film version of MAME in the worst way which is precisely what Lucille Ball did.

Most famous: Sean Young going on some talk show dressed as Catwoman to try and get the role in Tim Burton's sequel.

Toni Collette's audition for Chicago was wonderful, but Harvey and Rob choose Renee. Natalie Wood lobbied hard for the MTM part in Ordinary People, but Redford wanted either MTM, Ann-Margret, and Lee Remick before Wood.

Winona Ryder wanted The Hudsucker Proxy but lost to Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Goldie Hawn tried hard to get Sophie in Sophie's Choice...hard to imagine

[R5], apparently Rob wanted Toni for the role after her fantastic audition but the trolls didn't feel she was a bankable enough name. Because squinty is so bankable!

Kate Jackson actually GOT Meryl Streep's role in "Kramer vs Kramer" but ABC and the "Charlie's Angels" producers wouldn't give her time off to do the movie. She's still bitter, imagining she's have Meryl's career. Can you imagine?

Jack Nicholson wanted the priest role in The Exorcist that went to Jason Miller.

Great thread!

Joyce, I think Tom Selleck felt the same way about losing out on playing Indiana Jones.

Merman wanted Rose in GYPSY, Channing wanted Dolly Levi and Zero Mostel wanted to play Tevye in the movies.

Meryl wanted my role in The Remains Of The Day, but she just didn't have the range.

Bening wanted Mrs Lovett in 'Sweeney.' Helena B-C auditioned for that one!

Hugh Jackman REALLY wanted and has been the first choice for Sweeny Todd when Sam Mendes was going to direct, Tony Colette was Mrs Lovetts in that version, btw. Then the project went to Tim Burton and of course neither of them could compete with his favs, regarding their singing abilities.

IMDB reported that nearly every young actress in Hollywood read for the 3 female leads in "The Sweetest Thing" that eventually went to Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate and Selma Blair. That movie turned out to be a crock of shit so, presumably, no real regrets there on not winning the "coveted" parts.

I weep to think of the opportunity lost with Toni Collette in Chicago. Renee's good, but CZJ dances and sings circles around her.

The True Grit girl apparently really wanted the lead in the upcoming Hunger Games but she got beat out by that sex bomb from Winter's Bone.

Keanu Reeves wanted to play Rimbaud, Jack Kerouac and Sweeney Todd.

It's been reported that John Travolta lives with the regret of not having landed Dawson's role in "Cumsloppy Buttholes".

Robin Williams wanted the role of Joker in the Dark Knight, that eventually went to Heath Ledger.

Karen Carpenter was John Wayne's choice for Matty in the first True Grit, but she lost out to producer's choice Kim Darby.

Barbra Streisand badly wanted Sophie in Sophie's Choice.

Kristi McNichol spoke of going into a depression when she lost "The Bad News Bears" to Tatum O'Neal. It may have been the first sign of her mental issues.

I watched a tape of auditions for People vs Larry Flynt. Rachel Griffits did an audition where she sang and danced. Weird. Courtney's audition had no singing or dancing, just dialogue from the film.

Courtney and Ed Norton were interested in doing a film called Simply Irresistible. Norton was going to do it only IF Courtney is given the lead female part. Upon seeing her audition the producers passed on both of them.

Jane Campion said in an interview that she approached some names for Bright Star, but they turned her down. She didn't say who it was that said no.

Two stories that may not belong here:

From a Yale alumnus. Streep was courting agents while still at Yale. She'd even fly agents from the West Coast to come see her in plays. She strikes me as uber ambitious, so I tend to believe this.

After seeing Breaking the waves Catherine Deneuve sent a letter to Von Trier saying she'd love to work with him (the letter was printed in some stupid book of her diaries that came out several years ago). He cast her in that film with Bjork. Deneuve was strangely out of place in it, but, hey, it's what she wanted.

[quote] From a Yale alumnus. Streep was courting agents while still at Yale. She'd even fly agents from the West Coast to come see her in plays. She strikes me as uber ambitious, so I tend to believe this.

How could she afford to do that? And didn't she supposedly join a hippie commune after college?

Yes, R25. It is called Actors Equity.

Trippy group!

Courtney Love wanted the Nancy Spungeon role in "Sid & Nancy" which went to Chloe Webb. She'd shmoozed her way into the director's good graces, but she was passed over and got a bit role toward the end as a consolation prize. %0D %0D

Joseph Gordon-Levitt wanted to be in Shortbus so badly, he sent an "intimate" audition video to John Cameron Mitchell. However, Mitchell thought JGL was too well known and would detract from his cast of relative unknowns. Imagine seeing JGL having real sex on screen. Damn you, Mitchell.

"and a good morning to YOU Mr. Warner, and the BEST of luck!!"

Kay Lenz and Kristy McNichol both reportedly wanted the role of Elvira Hancock in "Scarface". Geena Davis, Carrie Fisher, Kelly McGillis and Sharon Stone auditioned for it. %0D %0D Rosanna Arquette, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Melanie Griffith, Kim Basinger, Kathleen Turner and Jodie Foster all turned down the role. Brooke Shields was also offered the role, but her mother Teri Shields made her turn the offer down. %0D %0D Producer Martin Bregman, in the book 'Scarface Nation', revealed that Glenn Close was the original choice for the role of Elvira, but he was dissatisfied because he thought she would be "only half a hooker". %0D

"M" went behind my back and tried to steal my role away from me in "Fatal Attraction." She's impossibly ruthless.

Some actors tried to finagle their way into [italic]Goodfellas[/italic]. John Turturro tried to get into a scene as an extra, IIRC. Vincent Gallo did get in as an extra.

Lucille Ball desperately wanted the Gloria Grahame role in GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH, but pregnancy intervened (Harry Cohn: Congratulations Mr Arnaz you must be one helluva man. You managed to fuck your wife, CB DeMille and Columbia Pictures in one fell swoop!)

Joan Crawford really wanted the Norma Shearer role in IDIOT'S DELIGHT (She got pushed into ICE FOLLIES of 1939 instead, no wonder she was bitter!)

And of course, no thread on lost roles would be complete without a nod to Paulette. Not only was she dying to play Scarlett, but she was no more than a hair's breadth away from actually getting it!

Meryl Streep wanted the role of EVITA.

Madonna horror stories: she wanted the wife role in GoofFellas. As the producer Babrara Di Fina said, "can you imagine? well, Marty can get a performance out of anyone."

Also wanted the role in Godfather 3 that went to Winona Ryder and then the creature.

I'll never understand why anyone would consider working with Madonna considering that she can't act at all and everything she touches bombs.

[quote]...He cast her in that film with Bjork. Deneuve was strangely out of place in it, but, hey, it's what she wanted.

R25, you clearly have never seen The Umbrellas of Cherbourg or Les Demoiselles de Rochefort. Featuring Catherine Deneuve in his Bjork musical was as much an homage to film musicals as featuring Joel Grey. Duh.

Carrie Snodgrass was hoping to make a comeback in "Rocky". She'd been rehearsing and got a call from her agent telling her the deal was off. He'd asked for a ton of money on this very low budget shoot. Snodgrass lost the role and dumped her agent. She later said she would have done the role for free because she loved the part.

Can you imagine if I'd actually gotten that Tim Burton film? It would have derailed my white hot career and I wouldn't be the megastar I am today!

That may be true, but there is no question that the part truly belonged to Burgess Meredith.

"Chicago" has some good stories stemming from the early days of trying to get it in production.

At one point, Goldie Hawn (who wanted to play Roxie Hart) and Madonna (who wanted to play Velma Kelly) were talking at an industry function. Charlene Theron, who was in consideration for Roxie, approached and they went out of their way to treat her like shit.

Jennifer Garner also whined in some interview about how she would've been perfect for Chicago but didn't get to be in it. She also supposedly auditioned for Cold Mountain and didn't get a role in that movie either.

[quote][R25], you clearly have never seen The Umbrellas of Cherbourg or Les Demoiselles de Rochefort. Featuring Catherine Deneuve in his Bjork musical was as much an homage to film musicals as featuring Joel Grey. Duh.

So, what, you presumptuous you? That still doesn't mean that Deneuve wasn't out of place in the movie.

Clark Gable wanted the part of Tarzan but lost out to Johnny Weissmuller.

Because Jennifer Garner is straight-up TV.

Minnie Driver thought she had Emma until POOP snatched it away from her by blowing Harvey.

Catherine deneuve was intentionally miscast as a factory worker. The film is so over the top that you don't even think about it.

Czj was awful and dumpy in chicago, rz was much better in it. See Czj jumping up and down on that table - she does justice to her nostrils.

Congratulations, R36. You're one of those people who make the internet tedious.

[quote]Because Jennifer Garner is straight-up TV.

Aww, there's nothing wrong with TV acting. Some of the writing and performing in recent shows is better than in movies.

And I don't say that to defend Jennifer Garner; I'm not really a fan (although I did like "13 Going On 30", it pains me to admit).

Jennifer Garner is a talentless dried up old bitch. Plus she is obsessivly hanging onto a man who clearly cheats whenever possible. I guess that's what happens when you yourself are a cheater. It's what you attract. %0D %0D Moral of the the story: Don't trap a man by getting pregnant. That's the only reason she has Ben Afflecks ring on her finger.

I wasn't talking about the quality of TV, R47. I'm talking about having the "movie star quality" and Man Face Garner does NOT have it.

Gabrielle Sidibe campaigned for the lead in 'Black Swan'. She nearly won it too, until the alotted budget was reshuffled so that the studio could film 'Big Momma's House 3'.

Jodi Foster and Michelle Phieffer were originally supposed to be in Thelma and Louise.

Good thread op.:)

well, I guess we can add the character of Rose in Gypsy and Barbra Streisand to this thread now.

?%0D

R25, you clearly have never seen The Umbrellas of Cherbourg or Les Demoiselles de Rochefort. Featuring Catherine Deneuve in his Bjork musical was as much an homage to film musicals as featuring Joel Grey. Duh.%0D ____%0D %0D Don't really think Von Trier put her in as a homage to French musicals, considering the part was written and intended for a black female character. She wanted the part anyway, it was just not a good match imo.

Rachel Uchetel at R48

let me guess, you've been the bitter "other-woman" more than once eh? They never leave the spouse for you, do they?

Deneuve is unwatchable, ugly and cold.

Jennifer Jones really, really wanted to play Aurora Greenway in Terms of Endearment, but the role went to Shirley MacLaine.%0D %0D The DVD of Superman features several actresses auditioning for the role of Lois Lane, including Anne Archer, Susan Blakely, Deborah Raffin, Lesley Ann Warren, and Stockard Channing. It came down to either Holly Palance or Margot Kidder; the latter got the part because she had the right comic timing and better chemistry with Christopher Reeve.

Unwatchable and vold are opinion, but Deneuve ... is ... ugly? On what fucking planet is she not a fashion and beauty icon?

Frank Sinatra -- SOME LIKE IT HOT.

Even an idiot can see that Jennifer Garner is neither dried up or old. If you have a point to make about her...use a reasonable argument, r48.

[quote]The True Grit girl apparently really wanted the lead in the upcoming Hunger Games but she got beat out by that sex bomb from Winter's Bone.%0D %0D And that sex bomb (Jennifer Lawrence) auditioned for Twilight and was pissed off when Kristen Stewart landed the role without reading the novels first.%0D %0D

[quote]Czj was awful and dumpy in chicago, rz was much better in it. See Czj jumping up and down on that table - she does justice to her nostrils.

It's strange because CZJ had a singing and dancing background, and I assume RZ didn't -- but I agree, I wasn't expecting to like RZ in Chicago (in fact, avoided the movie because I don't like her), but she was better than CZJ.

I don't know what CZJ got an Oscar for.

Queen Latifah was better than her too.

Keanu was pretty keen to play Aragorn.

Producers wanted John Travolta in Chicago. He turned it down. Fool. The part went to Richard Gere.

"Keanu was pretty keen to play Aragorn."%0D %0D That's right, the rumor at the time was that he was desperate to play Aragorn, and was willing to accept Elrond as a backup.%0D %0D It's a fact that he couldn't have handled the archaic dialogue and the mandatory British accent. But I hope they let him audition for Elrond anyway, just so the fans could see how he looks in elf drag.

Reeves really wanted to play Wolfman, he would have been good.

I wish Jennifer Laurence had got the part in Twighlight.

Winona Ryder wanted the lead in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, but Gwyneth reportedly "borrowed" the script behind Ryder's back.%0D %0D Whatever one thinks about Paltrow, she was far better in that film than Ryder would have been. Just watch Ryder in Pacino's LOOKING FOR RICHARD sometime if you need proof.

Cillian Murphy wanted Natalie Portman's role in BLACK SWAN, but the producer's though he would be too beautiful and delicate in the role.

Jennifer Lawrence can thank her lucky stars she wasn't in "Twilight". She's actually being taken seriously as an actress right now, something that would never have happened if she'd been in those awful campfests.%0D %0D She'd be rich, of course, but the films are awful and Hollywood is going to shun the cast once the money has been made. Lawrence has a better chance at a long career than any of them.

[quote]Producers wanted John Travolta in Chicago. He turned it down. Fool. The part went to Richard Gere.

I don't think that was so foolish. The actor in that part should have some sex appeal. Revolta would have opened himself up to easy jabs from critics if he took the role.

Hairspray, on the other hand...

Hugh Jackman turned down the role of Billy Flynn.

Liz Taylor wanted the role of Nellie Forbush in SOUTH PACIFIC but she lost her nerve and fumbled her vocal audition in front of Richard Rodgers.

Christian Bale badly wanted the lead in The Talented Mr. Ripley, but Matt Damon was more famous.%0D %0D Ironically, Damon intended to play Bale's character in The Fighter, but backed away because of script and director change-ups.%0D %0D This is quite interesting, as Tom Ripley is one of Damon's signature roles, and Dicky Eklund is one of Bale's, and the one that got him the Oscar. The performances they would have given in each other's movies had the casting been reversed would have been incredibly different from what we saw, I'm sure. Damon in The Fighter and Bale in The Talented Mr. Ripley would have resulted in massively different viewing experiences.

Barbara Parkins really wanted the role of Neely in Valley of the Dolls, but it went to Patty Duke instead. I think that Babs never forgave Patty for that (not that it was Patty's vault)

r76 here that should be fault.

Patty Duke wanted the lead role in the film, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, which was originally to be filmed in the late 60's but it was not made until 1977 with Kathleen Quinlan.

BUMP

I love Margot Kidder, but Stockard Channing would have been a great Lois Lane.

.

Rob Lowe and Matt Dillon wanted the lead in TOO WONG FOO . . . . JULIE MEWMAR.%0D %0D Either would have been prettier than Patrick Swayze. RIP.

Catherine O'Hara was pretty far along as the lead in Breaking News (wardrobe, makeup tests) when Holly Hunter swooped in and nabbed the part. Catherine later joked about, but you could tell she was bitterly disappointed, as she thought it would have been her big breakthrough as a leading lady.

Just as well. I love her in the supporting roles she's done.

Janeane Garafalo was told that she had the female lead in Jerry Maguire as long as she lost some weight. She nearly killed herself to slim down, only to have the part go to Rene Zellweger at the last minute.

"That's the only reason she has Ben Afflecks [sic] ring on her finger"%0D %0D Hey, I've had his ring on my finger too...

*sphincter ring

Steve Harvey lobbied hard for a role in Ocean's 11. When he learned that producers were interested in Bernie Mac, he started trashing his "friend" to anyone who would listen. He went so far as to tell the producers that Bernie was sick and could die any day so it wasn't worth it to cast him.%0D %0D This got back to Bernie and his many friends, including the other stars of the Kings of Comedy show (Cedric and DL Hughely). Steve Harvey was totally iced out of a lot of lives for that stunt. I think he does radio these days.

Who are these idiots who think that Zellwegger was better than CZJ in "Chicago"? God, Squinty pretty much ruined the movie with her caterwauling and shuffling. With the many more talented women who had been interested in playing the part, for the producers to choose that sexless lump was a travesty.

Oh, I meant Broadcast News of course.

Oops.

Actually, R70, I think he would've done a better job. There is something otherworldly about him that would enhance a psych-horror movie.

I've always thought the movie would have been more effective either with a male lead, or the Vincent Cassell character going crazy.

Bale also auditioned for Superman (the first reboot). He was in the final three, but lost to Brandon Routh.

Annette Bening was first choice to play Catwoman in Batman Returns but had to back out when she became pregnant.%0D %0D Michelle Pfeiffer and Meryl Streep were set to star in Working Girl. The roles eventually went to Melanie Griffith (replacing Pfeiffer) and Sigourney Weaver (replacing Streep).%0D %0D The Holly Hunter role in Broadcast News was written for Debra Winger, but she had to turn it down because she was pregnant.%0D %0D %0D %0D %0D %0D

Jennifer Lawrence doesn't have to worry, she's going to be swimming in money after the Hunger Games. It has every chance to be just as big as Twilight, but is far more respected from a literary standpoint. She hit the jackpot.

Speaking of Jennifer Garner, ABC was excited about Alias when JJ Abrams presented it, but they wanted a recognizable actress to be the lead. They were extremely skittish about casting an unknown as the anchor of such an expensive series.

Shannen Doherty campaigned HARD for the role of Sydney Bristow and even did the physical training for it. Abrams knew who he wanted all along though and convinced ABC to let him film half of the pilot with Jennifer Garner. If they didn't like it, he'd pay for the reshoot himself and put Shannen in as the lead. Needless to say, Doherty didn't get the role, and a star was born.

Angela Lansbury said she wanted to make the film version of MAME in the worst way, which is what Lucille Ball ultimately did.

[quote]Catherine O'Hara was pretty far along as the lead in Breaking News (wardrobe, makeup tests) when Holly Hunter swooped in and nabbed the part.

Very interesting to know. The official story has always been that Debra Winger had to drop out close to the start date due to pregnancy and Holly Hunter was brought in at the the bottom of the 11th hour, which was how they were able to sneak someone so unknown into the part. I wonder why they got cold feet about O'Hara?

Speaking of Holly Hunter, Madeleine Stowe has said that she badly wanted to play Ada in The Piano. I have also seen Sean Young say that she was offered the part by Jane Campion and turned it down, which I have a tough time believing. I've always heard that the role was hotly pursued by a lot of big actresses, even non English-speaking ones, but those are the only two I've ever actually seen named.

Sally Field really wanted Moonstruck, especially because it was basically written as a vehicle FOR her...up until the end when the studio stepped in and said she wasn't believable as an Italian woman from NY. Rumor is, Sally was so pissed that she screamed at Norman Jewison, 'well, look at this, a kike producing a movie about a bunch of waps,' and stormed off the lot when they told her.

That would be funny if true because Norman Jewison is actually a Protestant, not a Jew.

Travolta not only turned down Chicago but was also offered Richard Gere's part in Officer and a gentleman. Travolta has also unsuccessfully tried out for the part of a hetero for the last 30 years without any luck.

SJP was initally considered for Pretty Woman (don't laugh, its true) but they went for Roberts instead.

Imogene Coca wanted Christie Brinkley's role in [italic]National Lampoon's Vacation[/italic].

R94, I took a "Women in Film" class years ago and did a term paper on Jane Campion and I remember reading that she had Sigourney Weaver in mind when she wrote THE PIANO, but I think Holly Hunter was pitch-perfect in that film. Love that performance, but I would have voted for Angela Bassett for WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT for Best Actress that year.

R93, have you met R1?

Glenn has always wanted to play a woman in a film, but sadly it just hasn't happened yet.

[quote]Winona Ryder wanted The Hudsucker Proxy but lost to Jennifer Jason Leigh

Winona also lost the role to "Shakespeare In Love" from Gwyneth Paltrow.

Wonder if Cherry Jones wanted to be in the film adaptation of "Doubt" or not? Fucking hell. Meryl Streep swooped in on a role which Cherry Jones originated from the break and won a Tony for.

Frank Sinatra was originally cast as Billy Bigelow in Carousel, but after shooting started they realized that he was not good for the part. They called in Gordon MacRae, who at the time was performing in Las Vegas, to take over the part. Can't even imagine Frank Sinatra as Billy Bigelow.

[quote][R94], I took a "Women in Film" class years ago and did a term paper on Jane Campion and I remember reading that she had Sigourney Weaver in mind when she wrote THE PIANO, but I think Holly Hunter was pitch-perfect in that film.

Weaver told her agent she was taking a year off from work, so he never told her that Campion wanted her for The Piano. Weaver found out after the fact. She talks about this in interviews. I think she might have fired her agent over this. I agree that Holly was a better fit for the part. She's so tiny and vulnerable looking; it's easier to imagine someone like her feeling powerless than Weaver. Thought Weaver was amazing playing a broken woman in Death and the Maiden.

Susan Lucci was up for two roles that got passed on to others. The Shirley Muldowney drag race bio pic Heart Like A Wheel that Bonnie Bedilia got and won a Golden Globe for, and the bad Bond girl in Never Say Never Again that Barbara Carrera played.

Vivien Leigh lobbied hard for the lead opposite Olivier in Rebecca, but Selznick didn't like her for the role.

Conversely, Selznick wanted Leigh to play the lead in Notorious, but she had left for England and refused to come back.

Kirstie Alley had a few callbacks for Fatal Attraction and said she was upset when she didn't get the part, until she saw what Glenn Close had done with it. Alley was also up for Body Heat.

Meryl Streep and Michelle Pfeiffer both wanted to play Evita.

Steve Harvey should have been careful about saying dumb shit like that. You don't bite the hand that feeds ya.

More Lucille Ball:

She wanted the female lead in Ball of Fire, just on TCM this weekend, and almost got it, but when Barbara Stanwyck expressed interest, Lucy lost.

Also she wanted to do Born Yesterday, but others with influence campaigned for the stage originator Judy Holliday who got to do it and won an Oscar.

Lucille Ball made a good "bad" girl. I watched [italic]Dance, Girl, Dance[/italic] in which she played a burlesque dance opposite good girl Maureen O'Hara. There's even a good fight scene in which Maureen gives Lucille a black eye.

But she still wouldn't have been as good as Stanwyck.

BUMP

Travolta not only turned down Chicago but was also offered Richard Gere's part in Officer and a gentleman.

AND American Gigolo.

Gere has admitted many times to have never minded being the Poor Man's Travolta or his first runner-up. It;s gotten him the best roles of his life.

And look who's aged better - perhaps because he's not obsessed with dyeing his hair asphalt black?

Katie Holmes auditioned for the role of Christine in the screen version of Phantom of the Opera. Emmy Rossum got the part. It's too bad Katie didn't audition for the Phantom. She'd have been better than Gerard Butler who is definitely not a singer. Not an actor either.

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal both auditioned for Moulin Rouge, for the part that eventually went to Ewan McGregor.

Very interesting thread. For (what seemed like) years Meryl was expected to play Evita; I always wondered what she would have been like in the role.

And there is some unsavory story out there--can't remember the details--about Sinatra and a role he did get: the one that won him the Academy Award in "From Here to Eternity."

R16, that's cox CZJ had more musical theatre experience than Renee. She practically did her apprenticeship in the West End!

Once read that Armand Assante was originally first on the list for the Richard Gere role in Pretty Woman, but that his screen test made the character seem way, way too dark.

Mel Gibson as Schindler

Nothing unsavory about Sinatra & From Here to Eternity. He was with Ava at the time, and she was very close friends with Joy Cohn, Harry Cohn's wife. She pleaded with her to talk to Harry for Frank and she did.

It was the two women who persuaded him to give Sinatra a screen test. Frank had lost his arrogance. He was so perfect as Maggio, Harry couldn't refuse him.

I know we'd rather believe it was Tom HAgen chopping off Kartoum's head and laying it in Cohn's bed at Vito Corleone's behest, but it was Ava not Vito.

I heard it was Patti LuPone who was lobbying hard for Evita on screen. Never heard about Michele Pfeiffer. I know Meryl was talked about, but back then she was talked about for everything.

LuPone was incensed that they chose Madonna. Really incensed that she was too old for the part. But when you think about it,even tho we all know Madonna is a terrible actor, she was the perfect Evita. She was.

According to Frances Farmer biographer Peter Shelley, pratically every actress in town wanted the lead role in "Frances." Among them: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Tuesday Weld, Goldie Hawn, Sissy Spacek, Katherine Ross, Mia Farrow, Susan Sarandon, Valerie Perrine, Cathy Lee Crosby and Natalie Wood. Wood had been developing a biopic on Farmer since 1966, which, thankfully, never got off the ground. Though a likeable star, Natalie wasn't the most subtle of actresses and would've turned on the histrionics. No comment necessary on Cathy Lee. /roll eyes

[quote]Frank Sinatra was originally cast as Billy Bigelow in Carousel, but after shooting started they realized that he was not good for the part.

Actually, that's not quite true.

Sinatra loved the part of Billy Bigelow and "auditioned" for it by frequently singing Billy's songs (particularly "Soliloquy") on television. The studio was all set to have him do it and signed him on, and then when shooting started he discovered that they were going to film each scene twice: once for regular movie theaters, and then once for theaters that used Todd A-O.

Well, that was the end of that for Sinatra. For reasons I think I've never understood, he always insisted on doing as few takes as possible for his films (which is very weird given that he would obsessively redo his record recordings over and over again until he got them perfect). He told the studio if they were in effect filming two movies they'd have to double his salary, so that was the end of that. They brought in Gordon Macrae.

A while after Gordon Macrae's death, Shirley Jones said it was in some ways a tragedy that Sinatra never got to play the role on film, though she added she could not have imagined a better singer of those songs than Gordon Macrae (which is true). But her implication was that Sinatra (unlike Macrae) could actually have acted the part.

Ken Russell made a screen test of Liza (in a blonde wig) for Evita.

And then he was fired.

Grace Kelly desperately wanted the part of Marnie Edgar Rutland--Hitchcock chose to make that film specifically to bring her out of retirement. Unfortunately, Prince Rainier explained to his wife then that she could never make a film comeback because it would be unacceptable to the Monagasque people and the Catholic Church. So she got her revenge by raising her daughters to be sluts.

That's weird, R84, because Connie Britton also claims that it was down to her for Jerry M and then they gave it to Renee Z at the last minute -- wonder how many chicks they told that to?

I always thought Madonna was too old for the part of Evita, though in the end I actually liked her in the role. But, if she seemed too old, particularly for the younger years, could you image Streep or LuPone in the role? Channeling Stockard Channing in Grease.

Madonna was sought for Evita as early as 1986 - had it been made then, she would have looked great in the early scenes. But supposedly she had a lot more demands about changes to the score and so on. I guess it took her to have a slew of shitty films before she stopped having so many requirements.

Meryl was actually signed to star when Oliver Stone was directing.

Candy Darling campaigned for the part of Myra Breckinridge.

R123 That role did suit Sinatra. He would have been very believable as a surly bully and loser. Gordon McRae had a good guy look about him and Billy Bigelow was kind of a creep.

I don't believe that Meryl flew casting agents out from the west coast while at Yale. She worked as a waitress to help pay her tuition.

Sam Cohn took her on as a star client and replaced the lower level ICM agents representing her with himself. He was a great agent for her. Kevin Huvane has also kept her in great parts and as a major star.

The only roles she wanted but did not get: Sweet Dreams, Evita, Remains of the Day. Thelma and Louise fell apart because she and Goldie Hawn wanted more money than the producers would pay. They did Death Becomes Her instead.

I thought I read once that Meryl was offered Fatal Attraction but turned it down.

Didn't Rachel McAdams audition for Mamma Mia!?

There must be dozens who auditioned for Les Miserables.

Megan Mullaly - Risky Business

Connie Britton - Jerry Maguire

Didn't Toni Collette really want Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd? I think this was when Russell Crowe was going to play Sweeney - dodged a bullet there.

I predict Anne Hathaway will start pushing to play Sally in a Cabaret remake after she wins Best Supporting Actress tonight.

Leonardo DiCaprio wanted the role of Alan Turing in the upcoming biopic. The role will be played by Benedict Cumberbatch. This is one of those coveted scripts that is considered serious Oscar bait.

Jennifer Lawrence beat out over 10 actresses to play Katniss Everdeen.

I am glad that Michelle Pfeiffer did not do Silence of the Lambs. It is such a definitive Jodie Foster role.

I think Nicole Kidman replaced Rachel Weisz in The Railway Man with Colin Firth.

Silver Linings Playbook: Russell initially intended to make the film with Vince Vaughn and Zooey Deschanel, but went on to make The Fighter instead. Mark Wahlberg was set to work with Russell for the fourth time but had to drop out after delays in production created a scheduling conflict. Anne Hathaway was cast as Tiffany Maxwell but due to scheduling conflicts with The Dark Knight Rises, she dropped out. Other actresses who were considered for the part included Elizabeth Banks, Kirsten Dunst, Angelina Jolie, Blake Lively, Rooney Mara, Rachel McAdams, Andrea Riseborough and Olivia Wilde.

I love Michelle Pfeiffer, but I cannot imagine anyone but Jodie Foster playing Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs. She fucking OWNED that role.

r82, they wouldn't have had Patrick Swayze's sweetness and goodness.

I mean that.

r87 :"Steve Harvey was totally iced out of a lot of lives for that stunt. I think he does radio these days."

He has two television shows.

Liv Ullman, Sally Field and Barbra Streisand all wanted the lead in Sophie's Choice.

I thought Meryl was interested in Elizabeth but it went to Cate Blanchett?

Recall that Kidman was wanted to play Ava Gardner in Aviator, and Goop was wanted for Hepburn. Worked out well for Cate Blanchett.

Ordinary People was mentioned upthread.

Lee Remick really, really wanted the MTM role. When she didn't get it, she was so devastated that she left the country for a while.

Remick was never less than brilliant, and would have been great.

But MTM was revelatory in playing against type, and that looks better in retrospect, I guess.

Roles turned down by Nicole Kidman:

Alexander the Great Cast by her "Moulin Rouge" director Baz Luhrmann in the role of the hero's extraordinary mother, "Olympia." The rival Oliver Stone movie of Alexander's life contributed to the derailment of Luhrmann's long-planned epic. Actor who got the part: Project Abandoned

The Avengers Nicole Kidman was considered for the role of Emma Peel. Actor who got the part: Uma Thurman

The Aviator Nicole Kidman was considered to play the part of Katharine Hepburn. Actor who got the part: Cate Blanchett

The Brave One Nicole Kidman was considered for the leading role, but she turned it down. Actor who got the part: Jodie Foster

Bridget Jones's Diary Nicole Kidman turned down the role of Bridget Jones. Actor who got the part: Renée Zellweger

The Brothers Grimm Nicole Kidman was actually cast but had to leave the project.

Cape Fear Nicole Kidman lobbied for the role of the daughter but Scorsese preferred a younger actress. Actor who got the part: Juliette Lewis

Casino Nicole Kidman was considered for the role of Ginger. Actor who got the part: Sharon Stone

Catwoman Kidman was considered for the title role. Actor who got the part: Halle Berry

Chicago Nicole Kidman turned down the Part of Roxie. Actor who got the part: Renee Zellweger

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe Nicole Kidman was mentioned to play the Witch if Tilda Swinton wasn't available. Actor who got the part: Tilda Swinton

The Constant Gardener Director Fernando Meirelles thought she was too old for the part. Actor who got the part: Rachel Weisz

Daredevil Nicole Kidman was considered for Elektra. Actor who got the part: Jennifer Garner

Emma Nicole Kidman turned down the lead role. Actor who got the part: Gwyneth Paltrow

Eucalyptus Crowe & Kidman were supposed to star in this low-budget Aussie pic but the project was postponed due to script problems. Actor who got the part: Project Never Got Made

The Flintstones Nicole Kidman was up for the role of Sharon, but was beat out by Halle Berry. Actor who got the part: Halle Berry

The Forgotten Nicole Kidman was looking to star in another suspense film after THE OTHERS, yet Julianne Moore got the part. Actor who got the part: Julianne Moore

Forrest Gump According to a 1995 interview, Nicole Kidman refused a screen test for the role of Jenny. Actor who got the part: Robin Wright Penn

Ghost Kidman auditioned for the role of Molly. Actor who got the part: Demi Moore

Good Will Hunting Nicole Kidman was in talks for the role of Skylar. Actor who got the part: Minnie Driver

I Heart Huckabees Did not play "Dawn Campbell" because of scheduling difficulties. Her close friend, and the director's first choice, Naomi Watts instead did the role. Actor who got the part: Naomi Watts

In The Cut Having developed the project with Jane Campion, Nicole Kidman pulled out of the lead role of Frannie because she was going through her famous divorce. She kept a producer credit. Actor who got the part: Meg Ryan

Indecent Proposal Nicole Kidman turned down the lead role of Diana, which was supposedly written with her in mind. Actor who got the part: Demi Moore

The Jetsons Nicole Kidman was Barry Sonnenfeld's choice for the role of Jane Jetson when he was considering filming the project in the mid '90s.

Jurassic Park Nicole Kidman auditioned to play Ellie. Actor who got the part: Laura Dern

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Nicole Kidman was cast but had to back out of the project. Actor who got the part: Cate Blanchett

The Life of David Gale Nicole Kidman turned down the role of Bitsey Bloom. Actor who got the part: Kate Winslet

Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence Nicole Kidman was considered for the role of Monica, but Nick Hamm preferred to go with a newcomer. Actor who got the part: Monica Potter

Monte Carlo MONTE CARLO, originally titled HEADHUNTERS, was originally developed as a co-starring vehicle for Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts. Actor who got the part: Selena Gomez

Mr. & Mrs. Smith Kidman was actually cast in the lead role of Jane Smith but dropped out. Actor who got the part: Angelina Jolie

Panic Room Nicole Kidman was set to play the lead but had to drop out because of an injury from Moulin Rouge.

A Perfect Murder Nicole Kidman was offered the lead role but turned it down because she wanted too much money. Actor who got the part: Gwyneth Paltrow

The Producers (2005) Announced to play the curvaceous secretary/actress and Swede "Ulla," she dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Actor who got the part: Uma Thurman

Psycho (1998) Nicole Kidman turned it down. Actor who got the part: Anne Heche

The Reader Kidman was to have taken the role of Hana Schmitz once she'd finished Australia, but pregnancy prevented her from taking the role. Actor who got the part: Kate Winslet

Shakespeare in Love Nicole Kidman turned down the lead role. Actor who got the part: Gwyneth Paltrow

Shattered Kidman, fresh off after the success of "Dead Calm" auditioned for the lead role. Actor who got the part: Greta Scacchi

A Simple Plan Nicole Kidman was actually cast as Sarah Mitchell, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Actor who got the part: Bridget Fonda

Six Days Seven Nights Nicole Kidman auditioned to play Robin Monroe. Actor who got the part: Anne Heche

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Was considered for the role of Mrs Lovett. Actor who got the part: Helena Boham Carter

Titanic Nicole Kidman declined the role of Rose DeWitt. Actor who got the part: Kate Winslet

While You Were Sleeping Nicole Kidman was reportedly considered to play Lucy. Actor who got the part: Sandra Bullock

Sorry that should say roles that Nicole rejected or that she was rejected for. She is one of the most ambitious and calculating actresses ever.

So what does your overbearing post have to do with the title of this thread, r145, r146?

Kate Hepburn was totally interested in portraying Scarlett O'Hara, but with her unconventional looks and pure Yankee demeanor, Selznick told her that he couldn't imagine "Clark Gable chasing after YOU for ten years".

Barbara Stanwyck was all set to portray Mildred Pierce when in came Joan Crawford with her lips of steel (or steAl), got a long term contract with Warners and took the part. Babs should have signed long-term with Warners (or Paramount) - she was perfect for their types of films.

Michelle Pfeiffer would have been too delicate to play Clarice Starling. I cannot imagine her in the final sequence in the basement being very believable.

One of the reasons Sinatra would have been more believable as Billy Bigelow is he would have brought a scarier edge to the part. (He was a scary man personally, and very violent.) I bet he also would have argued the director and Rodgers and Hammerstein out of having to do that horrible fake Maine dialect that neither Macrae nor Shirley Jones can believably pull off.

You could have just thanked God that Nicole Kidman did not ruin several successful films.

R145/146 thinks the thread is titled "I Resent Nicole Kidman Because..."

Jennifer Lawrence has had incredible luck.

I know actresses really want to play Catwoman, but is it really a great role? The movie with Halle Berry ruined her career.

[quote]Toni Collette's audition for Chicago was wonderful, but Harvey and Rob choose Renee

Ha! Truly, the idea that anyone ever went to see a movie for Renee Zellweger is hysterical.

Is she holed up in her Connecticut estate these days? Talk about a never-was.

Every over-30 actress in Hollywood at the time when the screenplay for "Thelma and Louise" was going around wanted those parts. It was widely recognized the film would be a hit and offer great spotlight roles for the two leads, which is exactly what happened (though Geena Davis could not sustain the revitalization it briefly gave to her career, unfortunately, because she's quite good in comedy.)

Similarly, the screenplay for "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar" was also considered a hot property that would revitalize the careers of whoever was cast in the three leads (particularly in the part that went to Patrick Swayze, which James Spader, among mnay others, really wanted). The film was a modest hit, but it didn't really do anything for the careers of Swayze, Wesley "Prison" Snipes, and John Leguizamo.

[quote]Weaver told her agent she was taking a year off from work, so he never told her that Campion wanted her for The Piano. Weaver found out after the fact. She talks about this in interviews. I think she might have fired her agent over this.

Really shows how utterly stupid most "suit" types in Hollywood are. They suck the blood of the creatives and pull dumb shit like this. I can't imagine she wouldn't fire her agent over what surely would have been her Oscar win.

Catwoman in "Batman Returns" was a great role, and I see why so many actresses wnated it, especially since they got a chance to wear that great fetishistic rubber body suit. It really cemented Michelle Pfeiffer's status as the hottest actress in Hollywood @1990.

I think it was the splash that Pfeiffer made that prompted Halle Berry and Anne Hathaway to want the role later. Halle's film was a disaster (though it really wasn't her fault), and they changed the character ridiculously so no one wanted to see it anyway. (Who wants to see a Catwoman named Patience Price rather than Selina Kyle?) I don't think Anne got a great part in the recnt Batman film (it seemed lost in the shuffle), but she did get to wear a sexy bodysuit, and she does want very much to break the ingenue mold whenever she can that "The Princess Diaries" put her into in so many people's minds.

[quote]Gere has admitted many times to have never minded being the Poor Man's Travolta or his first runner-up.

Funny. I would consider their roles reversed in actuality. Travolta had one blip after Pulp Fiction before returning to has-been status. Gere has never not been a solid B-list working movie actor and is much more talented than Travolta, which is faint praise but still.

Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts (used to) get talked about for everything. It does not mean they really wanted the roles or were actually even offered the role. Now they are 45 and have less choices.

I remember Susan Lucci saying once that she wanted her Out of Africa. Dream big my darling.

[quote]Madonna was sought for Evita as early as 1986 - had it been made then, she would have looked great in the early scenes. But supposedly she had a lot more demands about changes to the score and so on. I guess it took her to have a slew of shitty films before she stopped having so many requirements.

I can only imagine how bad she would have been in 1986. Screen-meltingly bad. She had the benefit of 10 years experience, had to eat some crow and maybe learn to listen to directors (big maybe), AND had extensive vocal training. Even with that she turned in a simply passable performance.

R131, Meryl also lobbied hard for the role of Patsy Cline in SWEET DREAMS. Upon seeing the finished film, she admitted that "nobody could have done it better than Jessica."

[quote]Thelma and Louise fell apart because she and Goldie Hawn wanted more money than the producers would pay.

I wonder if that is really the case. Those roles are so damn good and both Meryl and Goldie are smart cookies who were wealthy beyond imagining at that point. If its true then I guess they aren't that smart.

Just realized R131 mentioned Sweet Dreams right off the bat. I'm a moron.

It's true: there's a lot of status involved in saying (ie, lying) that you either turned down or were even considered for lead roles in high-profile movies. I cannot believe Janeane Garofolo, Sandra Bernhard, or Cathy Lee Crosby ever turned down ANYTHING they were offered. Or were seriously considered for some of these parts.

If she had her way, Ashley Judd (remember her?) would have starred in every one of these movies.

r57, your point is valid, but chronologically, it was Travolta who was a huge star first, and he cleared a pretty solid path for Gere with all his rejections - Gigolo, Officer, and even later in life (after Travolta had made a huge comeback and Gere was losing ground), Chicago.

Evita with Streep and Oliver Stone would have been interesting. Wasn't Sylvester Stallone at one time interested in playing Che Guevara? The horror.

[quote]Recall that Kidman was wanted to play Ava Gardner in Aviator, and Goop was wanted for Hepburn. Worked out well for Cate Blanchett.

No, it was Kidman/Hepburn. Gardner is a nothing role, even if it is in a Scorsese picture. So Kate Beckinsale really lucked out.

You might be thinking of GOOP playing Marlene Dietrich, which was in talks at the same time. Years and years ago Uma Thurman was to play her for Louis Malle, but it never happened and was resurrected with GOOP at HBO. Could have been interesting, I happen to think GOOP has the chops and vanity to pull off Dietrich.

Meant to address r157, not r57

[quote]The Constant Gardener Director Fernando Meirelles thought she was too old for the part. Actor who got the part: Rachel Weisz

Wonder if that kicked Kidman's botox abuse into high gear? LOL, good for Meirelles.

Helena Bonham Carter is indirectly responsible for 3 big breaks in cinema.

She was due to appear in Breaking The Waves but backed out at the last minute. Emily Watson was cast.

Emily Watson was first choice for Elizabeth but declined, and it launched Cate's career.

Amelie was written for Emily but like Helena she withdrew at the last minute. Audrey Tautou got her big break.

Christopher Lee's dream was to play the part as Gandalf in LOTR (and wrote to Tolkien to say so) but got the part as Saruman.

A lot of these are only well known, of course, because the end combo of part and actor was so successful. No one cares who else was up for the lead role in Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot.

I can't imagine anyone else playing Alex Forrest, Clarice Starling, Thelma/Louise, etc., etc. OTOH I feel like the role in "The Piano" could have been very different with Sigourney Weaver or Nicole Kidman.

"Moral of the the story: Don't trap a man by getting pregnant."

Hello? 2013 calling! Women don't "trap" men by "getting pregnant". Affleck can walk any time he wants to.

I'm sorry but I can't get over the fact that Nicole Kidman lobbied for the role of the daughter (Juliette Lewis) in Cape Fear. She would be Jessica Lange's daughter? Um, okay.

He also could have covered that thing. Any man who doesn't want his girlfriend to get pregnant should either use condoms or have himself fixed.

There's a rumor that Emma Watson shaved her head for the Dragon Tattoo audition--not because she had always wanted to shave her head, like she told her fans.

When Judy Garland was canned from ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, Ginger Rogers called L.B. Mayer and announched she was available and would accept a reduced fee. He never returned her call.

Judy Canova was desperate to do it, but MGM thought (rightly) she wasn't a big enough star and wasn't pretty enough. But she would have aced the score.

R173, that could have been as early as 1989. She would have been about 20-21 years old. Not that big a deal.

Juliette Lewis was great but how exactly did Nick Nolte and Jessica Lange produce a short Jewish girl?

I thought Michelle Pfeiffer got the role of Catwoman in "Batman Returns" because Annette Benning got pregnant. Everyone wanted that role because of Tim Burton.

Zero Mostel could have has the role of Tevye, but insisted on a record setting salary.

Garland wanted the film role of Mame, and would have done it for nothing, but she was uninsurable. Jerry Herman has said that he had her voice in his head while composing it. Ultimately the film was not made until after her death anyway, with Licille Ball turning in a posthumous performance. (Gary should have talked her out of it.)

Blake Lively was cast in Side Effects but wanted too much money. Rooney Mara picked up her role.

Chris Pratt won a big role recently in a Marvel movie that several other actors wanted.

Henry Cavill wanted Bond and Edward in Twilight, or am I remembering that wrong.

Tom Hiddleston wanted Thor but was cast as Loki.

I find it o hard to believe that Nicole Kidman was up for almost every important film during the 90s and early 2000s. She's absolutely NOTHING to me! I think she's a dull cipher, and nothing she has ever done on screen registers AT ALL. Her winning a Best Actress award for her supporting role in "The Hours" is astounding to me. I thought she gave a very dull and mannered performance, which didn't do anything for me then or now! Still, everyone thought the wonderful Annette Bening was so glorious in "The Kids Are Alright" where I found it the schtickiest performance of her career and really rather cringe worthy. Go figure!

Jennifer Lawrence got VERY lucky that the expressionless brick wall Kristen Stewart got Twilight, otherwise she might be winning Razzies instead of being up for an Oscar.

I can't believe Nicole Kidman was paid $15 million a movie. Those days are long gone. Now Jennifer Lawrence gets $10 million for a Hunger Games installment.

Sean Young wanting the role of Catwoman was legendary.

Clooney went right to Cate Blanchett for Monuments Men.

[quote]Hello? 2013 calling! Women don't "trap" men by "getting pregnant". Affleck can walk any time he wants to.

Damn straight he can. He won't though, he needs Garner as much as she needs him. If he wins big tonight with Argo you can bet your ass he'll be thanking her profusely both on and off-stage. Those kiddie-sweet family pap walks they've done for months (years actually) will have paid off in spades. AMPAS loves a family-friendly image. Ben isn't going anyplace trust.

interesting post at r137. Russell was recently interviewed re SLP and said it was stalled for a couple of years not only b/c of The Fighter but b/c he was in a stalemate of sorts with Weinstein (or whomever was financing/backing) over who would play Tiffany. Implying that they has someone in mind while he firmly had someone else. Jolie was originally attached for the first couple years - wonder if it was her casting that put them at odds?

Can you imagine SLP with Vince Vaughan... and Zooey D?

The project would have lost 50 IQ points right off the bat.

Michael Fassbender auditioned for the role in Les Miserables, that eventually went to Russell Crowe. Supposedly they liked him, but thought he is too young to play Javert. It's a pity because Fassbender is a much better singer than Crowe. Probably also a better actor (and I'm not saying that Crowe is not a great actor).

Scarlett Johansen auditioned for the film adaptation of Les Miz.

[quote]Blake Lively was cast in Side Effects but wanted too much money. Rooney Mara picked up her role.

Good PR. No way Lively would pass up a big showy role in a Sodergergh film over money. No way. They went with Mara because she can act. I also wonder if Mara works for free or scale because she's already rich.

Anyway, with Lively Its the same was when she was "dating" DiCaprio and "being considered" for Daisy in The Great Gatsby. Please, she's barely even a movie star. Total PR move, it looks good to be "considered" for things and to be "costly", when I'm sure she fucking begged for both roles.

R189 I can believe they wanted Lively. Rumor has it her husband has been majorly blocking her getting roles since they've hooked up and if you look at ScarJo's mini career revival it's believable.

R185 Emma Watson/Dragon Tattoo is a very plausible scenario. However, the film didn't perform as expected so I'm sure she dodged that one. I know Fincher mentioned Scarlett wanted it too and I think she would have been a really interesting choice because of her exposure to Scandinavian accents.

I think Haliee Stanfield would have made a better Katniss than Jennifer Lawrence. She fits the physical description of the character better. Maybe it's me but I didn't think Lawrence brought much of anything to the role.

They didn't want Lively for Side Effects. The producers threatened financing if she was cast.

Lucille Ball desperately wanted Deep Throat and almost got it, but Linda Lovelace auditioned at the last minute and her performance was a little better than Lucy's was.

Seann William Scott supposedly lobbied hard to play Alan Turing in "The Imitation Game". I think Benedict Cumberbatch got the role, though?

This is a bit of a reverse:

Fred Schepisi wanted Julianne Moore for Words and Pictures (which starts shooting in Vancouver in a few weeks), but Moore kept getting busy with other projects. At some point Schepisi realized he may wait forever and said, let's go with somebody else. Juliette Binoche was cast as the female lead.

I read an interview where he talks about it.

David Bowie wanted The Acid Queen in Tommy

Mick Jagger wanted Dr Frank Neilsen Furter

Taylor Swift was supposed to be Eponine in Les Miserables. Thankfully, her schedule wouldn't allow.

The Thin Red Line was completely overrated. You can see Malicks tendency of just beautiful pictures and no characters development in this one. I am amazed how after Tree Of Life and To The Wonder some people still gushing over this idiot. He should do nature documentaries or perfume ads but not make movies. Overly syrupy religions themes in movies is always a dead sure give away for pretentious BS.

Believe it or not, Jeffrey Hunter wanted Robert Reed's role on THE BRADY BUNCH. He was under contract to Paramount, which produced THE BRADY BUNCH, but creator Sherwood Schwartz vetoed the idea. Schwartz said that Hunter didn't look like an architect.

Mamie Van Doren claimed that she was up for and wanted the role of Ado Annie in OKLAHOMA. Gloria Grahame did the movie, the late, great Celeste Holm originated the part on Broadway

Cheryl wanted to play the Eleanor of Aquitaine role that Kate Hepburn got in Lion In Winter---she offered-up her own caftans to get the role.

Kukla, of Kukla Fran & Ollie, lobbied hard for "Cafeteria Manners," but lost out to Mr. Bumbles.

Kukla's pussy smells worse than Cheryl's for Doris' sake!

Interesting r192. Lucy was up for so many things...

Damn the webmaster is a dumb fuck. Who the hell shuts down a gay gossip board during the oscars? What a fucking retard.

f&f the cunt at R203 posting the exact same thing on every thread. Pay the $18 you cheapskate.

R196, Taylor Swift was not wanted for Eponine. She lobbyed hard, even travelled to London to try and pitch herself, but Hooper was not having it.

As a matter of fact, none of the principal cast wanted her either. Aside from the fact that she can't sing, which Hooper confirmed, she would have been completely disruptive. It would have been the Taylor Swift show.

Her marketing operation would have overwhelmed the production. There's a reason the went with the comparatively unknown Samantha Barks. I know whereof I speak.

Michael Fassbender wanted to play Landa in Inglorious Basterds, but he got Archie Hicox instead.

Mike Vogel was very close to getting the Kirk role in the Star Trek reboot but Chris Pine was cast instead.Then, he was a frontrunner for Captain America and lost to Chris Evans. I'm assuming he wanted both roles a lot.

My fave example of an actor not wanting a role ENOUGH was bond girl Izabella Scorupco who apparently made a big impression in Goldeneye. She was offered Kim Basinger's Oscar-winning role in L.A confidential and turned it down. Martin Campbell (director of Goldeneye) wanted to cast her in CZJ's star making role in Zorro but she turned it down too. She didn't do an English language film again until 2000 when Campbell cast her in Vertical Limit.

R57 obviously never watched "Potiche". Deneuve was fantastic in it.

It's on Netflix streaming and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Ann Sothern said:

"Lucy always used to complain she would get the roles I turned down. Now she owns the studio and I work for her."

I was told that I would be perfect for the lead in "The King and I".

So, stupid here shaves her head and doesn't get the part.

David Bowie Really wanted the role of elron in lord of the rings that went to Hugo weving

Keanu Reeves really wanted to play Aragorn in "LOTR", and would have settled for Elrond.

Thankfully he didn't get either, because he can't to English accents at all.

The great character actress Beulah Bondi was so sure her screen test for THE GRAPES OF WRATH had won her the role of Ma Joad that she bought an old jalopy and drove it to Bakersfield CA to soak up the squalid atmosphere among the migrant workers in The Great Depression.

After a week of slumming/researching she returned to Hollywood and learned that Jane Darwell was going to play the part instead of her.

Wendy Williams really wanted the role of Glinda in OZ the great and powerful, I heard.

Everyone knows Sally Field lobbied long and hard for the part of Mary Todd Lincoln, and she was great in the film; but who did she replace?

She said "Stephen had already cast it", but with whom?

I meant Steven, not Stephen.

Colton Haynes - Edward Cullen

Back in early 2008, I was doing my weekly delivery to mr ledger, he was moaning about how he wanted to be Batman, not the Joker. He saw himself on screen in the role and well you know.

Shirley Temple really wanted to play Dorothy in Wizard OF Oz.

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, George Clooney's first movie as a director went to Sam Rockwell as the lead. Robert Downey Jr. also was considered.

Sam Rockwell was considered to play Tony Stark/Iron Man, but RDJ got that one.

Gwyneth Paltrow turned down Titanic to do Sliding Doors

I heard that Revolta was considered first choice for Forest Gump. Thank God it went to Tom Hanks. With Revolta in the role it would have been a disaster.

So Emma Thompson beat out Meryl for The Remains of the Day. I often wonder if Meryl would have been interested in Emma's Role in Saving Mr. Banks. Emma was outstanding in that. Still can't understand why she was not nominated. I know there was lots of discussion about whether Cate would win and Sandy's being nominated but the winner for me was Emma who wasn't event nominated.

Read this on DL a while back. Apparently there's a bit in Emilio Estevez's book about Sean Penn bitter as hell over not getting a role in Coppola's The Outsiders, when Cruise and Estevez got cast.

It goes that after filming Taps, Sean Penn was singing the praises of Tom Cruise to all his associates including Emilio. Tom befriended Emilio and went to stay with the Estevez family in Malibu, and both guys got call ups with Coppola shortly thereafter. This was a big deal, every actor in their age group was trying to get in on this movie. Sean auctioned but got no such callback, and this affected him badly according to Emilio. He got so sour about it that for a while after, he would get wasted and go to Emilio's place to complain about how Francis would not let him test for the role of Darrell (that went to Patrick Swayze).

Matt Damon auditioned for the Aaron Stampler part in Primal Fear. He said it was the role everyone in his age group auditioned for, and desperately wanted, because they knew it would be a breakout role.

r158, La Lucci also bemoaned the fact that she didn't get to audition for Bridges of Madison County.

M wanted the Sally Field part in the 80s comedy "Punchline".

Sally Field was wonderful in "Punchline".

I know it's from 3 yeas ago, but I totally agree with r197 about Malick.

[quote] TO DIE FOR? Furlong admits, “I really wanted that part, and thought I’d had an interesting meeting with Gus Van Sant,” (auditioning for the role played by Joaquin Phoenix, who is manipulated by Nicole Kidman's delusional femme fatale).

That's not too much of a stretch, although he'd have been better cast (and well-cast) in Casey Affleck's part and not Joaquin's. Casey played the sex-crazed & destructive guttersnipe that kept having weird & disturbing monologues about Kidman's 'snatch'.

In the 90's the Afflecks were up-and-comers & hot property (and GVS already loved working with Ben), so no matter how good a choice Furlong was (or wasn't) there was basically no contest. Instead, Furlong just held out for John Water's PECKER (1998).

Tobey Maguire was quite eager to reprise his role as Peter Parker for CIVIL WAR (and for the upcoming AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR), but the studio chose to go with a more adolescent Spidey this time around, and cast 20-year-old Brit cutie Tom Holland instead. Holland is a great choice so far and he's endearing and energetic as the new Peter, but it's still sad to think fans missed out on Maguire's Parker meeting Downey's Tony Stark/Iron Man, considering the long friendship the two actors have offscreen.

Barbara Stanwyck also desperately wanted the leads in [italic]Dark Victory[/italic] and [italic]The Fountainhead[/italic], but Hack Warner shut her down both times; he didn't consider her sophisticated enough for the former nor sexy and young enough for the latter. She dodged a bullet with the latter film because it simply is awful, even worse than the novel it's based on.

What are you talking about, R231? It's one of the greatest comedies of all time.

Orson Welles really wanted Agnes Moorehead for the lead in The Stranger (1946). He thought it would be very interesting for a woman to play the Nazi hunter, but the studio said no to that and Edward G. Robinson played the part.

Welles also wanted Moorehead to play Lady Macbeth in his 1948 version of Macbeth, but she had a scheduling conflict and couldn’t do it, thus a perfect casting opportunity was lost. He went with Jeanette Nolan instead.

Agnes Moorehead wanted the lead in the film version of Sorry, Wrong Number (1948) since she’d originated it on the radio to great acclaim and Lucille Fletcher had written the role specifically for her, but the studio heads didn’t think she was a big enough name to carry a film on her own. Barbara Stanwyck got the part and Moorehead resented it (and Stanwyck) for the rest of her life.

[quote] GRACE (to Maguire, on why they were cast opposite each other): "Sam [Raimi] told me that he wanted [Eddie Brock] to be kind of like an evil twin brother, an evil Doppelganger to Peter [Parker]. I know that we're similar, because I've lost about 500 roles to you, Tobey."

Which roles did he mean? Topher Grace doesn't seem right for many of Maguire's pre-Spider parts (maybe Pleasantville? Deconstructing Harry?). Unless they both auditioned for Peter Parker and Grace never got over it. Grace also mentions here that he didn't feel he should have been cast as Brock/Venom at all, since he isn't physically 'intimidating' like Brock and was far younger at the time than the Brock of the comic-books.

Poor Tobey didn't appear to have been clued in that Spiderman 4 wasn't happening and that Andrew Garfield had his job.

Bump

Beyonce actually wanted to be effie in dreamgirls but was too good looking and not fat enough. In the same note, she almsot couldnt play deena jones because her voice was too powerful. The producers had to have practically whisper sing some of the songs.

Eve Plumb wanted to play Regan MacNeil in The Exorcist, as did Kim Basinger, Melanie Griffith, Sharon Stone and Laura Dern.

Kirsten Dunst auditioned for Moulin Rouge and desperately wanted it.

It's almost disturbing how many post of this old thread have the same pattern:

"X wanted the role, but ( insert Harvey's girl name) got the part"

R7 It must have been devastating for Kate Jackson not to be allowed to do "Kramer vs. Kramer" just because those creepy producers wouldn't let her do it. They were really cruel! I'll tell you I'd be bitter about it. But Kate was well aware she'd not have had the same career as Meryl Streep. She might have won an Oscar or maybe not. But this role would have led to other roles. And that's the sad part. Her career would have taken a different direction that's for sure.

Kate left after season 3 and Charlie's Angels went south without her. Serves those creeps right! They underestimated Kate Jackson and thought they could just replace her with some glamorous girl and then with a bombshell. Didn't work out. Because Kate Jackson was irreplaceable! She had that unique combo of beauty, talent and charisma. Can't beat that. I love her!

r239, Kidman was the best choice and I can say that without even having seen the movie!

Courtney also begged to be cast as Nancy Spungeon in "Sid & Nancy". They did give her a bit part near the end of the film.

[quote] Barbara Stanwyck got the part and Moorehead resented it (and Stanwyck) for the rest of her life.

And most people that know Sorry, Wrong Number associate it with Moorehead and her acclaimed radio performances.

[quote] Kate left after season 3 and Charlie's Angels went south without her.

Kate's career hung on for a bit with Scarecrow and Mrs. King but also went south not long after.

Joan Crawford's dream part at MGM in the early 40s was the lead in "Madame Curie"--she told everyone how desperately she wanted to play "that lady egghead." Then she got fired from the studio, and Greer Garson won the part.

Bernadette Peters wanted to play Pat Nixon in "Nixon." The mind boggles...

R245 After "Charlie's Angels" Kate Jackson did the groundbreaking movie "Making Love". She was outstanding in it. She also did a couple of other films. From 1983 - 1987 she was very successful on "Scarecrow and Mrs. King". Sadly in 1987 she got breast cancer but tried to still work on the series but eventually had to stop healthwise. That was also the end of "Scarecrow and Mrs. King". Didn't work without Kate just like "Charlie's Angels". In 1989 a recurrence of breast cancer was detected and she underwent a partial mastectomy and six weeks of recovery. In 1994 Kate had to have open heart surgery. All went well and before that and after she worked on several films. In 1995 Kate adopted a son and focused on raising him. With the occasional guest appearance. Eventually she retired. Kate worked very hard and had e phenomenal tv career that started in the early 70s and lasted till 2007. I think she is outstanding.

Montgomery Clift coached Sinatra in his role as Maggio in From Here to Eternity. It's why he won his Oscar.