Roles actors turned down

Jullia Roberts turned down Shakespeare in Love. Goop took the role, and the Oscar.

Wow. I can't imagine 6' Sigourney Weaver in The Piano.

The original title was "The Grand Piano".

Michelle Pfeiffer turned down Silence of The Lambs. She thought it might cheapen her stature. Jodie won an Oscar playing Clarice and the movie is classic.

Wasn't the original script for Pretty Woman very different from the finished film? I read somewhere that the original ending had the Richard Gere character kicking her out of a limo, throwing some cash in her face and leaving her on the street.

And I thought Goop stole the role in Shakespeare in Love from Winona Ryder after sneaking a peek at the script at Winona's house.

Bette Midler turned down Sister Act and Whoopi scored bigtime. What the fuck was Bette thinking? That role was perfect for her talents.

Robbie the Robot was offered the role of ThenRobot on Lost I. space, but he turned it down because it was television, and he was a movie star.

R6 Yeah, the main character is supposed to be a great singer, but is played by Whoopi Goldberg,

The original idea for Shakespeare in Love was suggested to screenwriter Marc Norman in the late 1980s by his son Zachary.[4] Norman wrote a draft screenplay which he presented to director Edward Zwick, which attracted Julia Roberts, who agreed to play Viola. However, Zwick disliked Norman's screenplay and hired the playwright Tom Stoppard to improve it (Stoppard's first major success had been with the Shakespeare-themed play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead).[5]

They initially gave the role of Viola to Kate Winslet, but she then rejected it to pursue independent films.[6]

The film went into production in 1991 at Universal, with Zwick as director, but although sets and costumes were in construction, Shakespeare had not yet been cast, because Roberts insisted that only Daniel Day-Lewis could play the role. Day-Lewis was uninterested, and when Roberts failed to persuade him, she withdrew from the film, six weeks before shooting was due to begin.[7] The production went into turnaround, and Zwick was unable to persuade other studios to take up the screenplay.[5]

Eventually, Zwick got Miramax interested in the screenplay, but Miramax chose John Madden as director. Miramax boss Harvey Weinstein acted as producer, and persuaded Ben Affleck to take a small role as Ned Alleyn.[8]

Really R9? Kate Winslet would have been 15 years old in 1991. Roberts and DDL would have been quite great together though. She was lovely back then and so was he. They were fucking I assume. Does Wikipedia have than info?

Doris Day was offered the racy, plum role of Mrs. Robinson in "The Graduate" which would have changed and jumpstarted her film career. But she turned it down because it went against her image. Anne Bancroft got the role and was nominated for an Oscar although she stated that she felt it overshadowed her other movie work.

R10, I don't remember the year and am too lazy to look it up, but a friend lived on Gramercy Park across the way from Daniel Day-Lewis, and when Julia Roberts married Lyle Lovett for a few days and then divorced him or annulled the marriage, my friend said she showed up in DDL's apartment and they fucked like rabbits for several days. Apparently they had been a thing before that, but my friend either hadn't paid any attention or hadn't said anything about it. I'm a little hazy on details at this point, because that was forever ago.

Winslet was offered Shakespeare in Love after it was picked up by Miramax, right around the time she did Titanic.

Both Mickey Rourke and Sylvester Stallone were at one time cast to play the lead in Beverly Hills Cop. Eddie Murphy played Axel Foley and became a superstar at 22 years old.

Joaquin Phoenix and Matt Damon both turned down roles in Brokeback Mountain.

^It was still risky at the time for actors to play gay.

I was the first choice for all three of G's Tony winning roles. (The Real Thing, Death and the Maiden, Sunset Boulevard.)

John Travolta allegedly turned down An Officer and A Gentleman, American Gigolo, and Chicago.

I sometimes with actors could speak about the roles they turned down and say "Look, I liked the script, but I was already signed on to do something else" or "I never got the script, because my agent must have turned it down for me." This stuff happens all the time.

Another one is Tina Turner passing on the Color Purple for the Mad Max sequel.

Tina made the right decision. She didn't turn down the lead in the Color Purple, just the role of Shug Avery. It's a lousy film.

R4 I don't think Pfeiffer would have been as good as Foster.

I love Pfeiffer but she's not the best at choosing roles.

Bette Midler turned down Misery which won Kathy Bates an Oscar.

Streisand turned down Klute and Julia.

Pfeiffer also turned down Basic Instinct. I LOVE Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs. Impossible to imagine anyone else.

If he's not lying, Hugh Jackman turned down the hugh opportunity to be James Bond that eventually went to Daniel Craig. Jackman said it would box him in forever. True.

Leonardo Dicaprio has said he regrets passing on the role of Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights. He wasn't very familiar with Anderson's work at the time....and the subject matter made him nervous. He LOVES the movie.

Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Robert Redford, Ryan O'Neal, and Dustin Hoffman were all offered the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather. They wanted an established star to play Brando's son. Relative unknown actor Al Pacino was eventually cast, because he looked the part.

Sandra Bullock was cast in Million Dollar Baby but dropped out due to delays. Hilary Swank took over the role of the doomed boxer in that incredibly depressing film. Second Oscar.

Barbra turned down all the roles that made Jane Fonda famous. Fonda said in an interview that she owed her career to Barbra Streisand. (Barbra also turned down They Shoot Horses, Don't They in addition to Klute and Julia). Barbra also said no to Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (she didn't think it would be believable that she was a lounge singer) and The Eyes of Laura Mars. Oh, and Cabaret.

Judy Garland turned down The Three Faces of Eve.

Bette Midler turned down Sister Act, which was written specifically for her.

She didn't turn it down, but Kate Jackson was offered the Meryl Streep role in Kramer Vs. Kramer, but she was contractually obligated to stay with Charlie's Angels.

That role really could have changed her career. I think she's a great actress. She was nominated 2x for an Emmy for playing Sabrina. That's no easy feat when you consider the scripts. The first season's scripts were actually good.

Cher turned down the role of Thelma in Thelma and Louise and the part that Kathleen Turner played in The War of The Roses. Both films are better without her IMO.

Jack Nicholson turned down the role of the father in A Christmas Story. He was demanding a million dollars and they couldn't do it.

Cher also turned down the part in Nuts that went to Barbra. Cher would have been more believable as a high priced call girl.

I love this.

[quote]Comedian and actress Bernhard was offered the role of cynical lawyer Miranda Hobbes on the HBO show but told Howard Stern she passed due to the "terrible" script and low paycheck. The outspoken star also told Stern she wasn't thrilled at the prospect of working alongside Sarah Jessica Parker. "I would have had to play third or fourth fiddle to Parker and put up with her shit. It would have been hideous to work with her."

^ That's Sandra Bernhard, talking about Sex And The City.

Mr. SJP, Matthew Broderick, turned down the part of Walter White in Breaking Bad.

Yes, that role would have been perfect for Cher.

Cher also turned down War of the Roses, which she bitterly regretted after it became a huge hit.

That's the second post you've duplicated R39. Are you reading the thread?

Cher turned down the role of Louise in the film not Thelma.

Dana Delany turned down the role of Carrie Bradshaw. She was close friends with Darren Star and he wanted her. At that time she thought a show on HBO with SEX in the title was a little too risque.

When discussing roles actors turned down, you have to keep a few things in mind. 1) The project or version of the script they turned down sometimes has very little in common with the final product--Whoopi's Sister Act was so different in tone than the Midler version that Paul Rudnick took his writing credit off the movie 2) Sometimes the projects had different directors and co-stars attached....The Shakespeare in Love example had a different director and it was a different screenplay than what got made many years later 3) Sometimes an actor doesn't connect with the role in any way, even if the script is strong and entertaining. 4) Sometimes geography is a big deal in terms of where the movie is shooting. Actors with kids don't want to spend 6-12 months on a continent away from their family (which is why Warren Beatty dropped out of Kill Bill at the last minute after months of training--and the shoot ended up lasting something like 15 months).

Here's the big one: Sometimes the attached talent can't get it financed. Everything I've ever read about La La Land says Miles Teller dropped out because he wouldn't take less money than Emma Stone. Bullshit. The movie was hard to finance. The director needed to go fishing for a bigger name who would work cheap and succeeded. Also, regimes change inside studios as do track records. When it was time to make Sister Act, maybe they realized Bette Midler only sold tickets in edgy R rated stuff where she could scream and not family comedies.

R4 Pfeiffer is on record as saying that she didn’t like that (as she saw it) “evil won out in the end.” Pfeiffer has also acknowledged she has some of the worst instincts in the business. “I’d probably run it to the ground,” she said when asked by Premiere Magazine decades ago what she would do if she ran Hollywood. I don’t know if she turned down Thelma or Louise, or If she was just attached at one point. But she has turned down a lot of roles, as mentioned.

Also, Julia Roberts really has a thing for Irish men or those from Irish descent. I can’t blame her.

Also, I’ve always found Kate Jackson as wooden as Demi Moore. Is there something she has done that would change my mind?

Annette Bening turned down—well, she dropped out due to pregnancy (which she chose to go through with)—Batman Returns and Disclosure. I forget if she also turned down The Sheltering Sky or she wished she had been cast.

Debra Winger has turned down a slew of roles, including Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction. I forget where she fell in like. Miranda Richardson was first pick and turned it down. Three others turned it down—including Winger and Barbara Hershey—before Glenn Close was cast and immortalised.

There’s also a website called “not starring” which has lists of these things (accuracy is hit and miss).

R43 is right. Like, I can’t imagine that the Million Dollar Baby Sandra Bullock was supposed to star in was the same one Clint Eastwood made with Hilary Swank.

R44, I thought the role of Alex was offered to Isabelle Adjani who turned it down.

Emily Blunt was supposed to be Black Widow but was contractually obligated to do Gulliver’s Travels.

And now we have all paid the price and ScarJo almost won an Oscar.

Sissy Spacek tuned down the role of 'Emma' in Terms of Endearment because she'd just had a baby.

Forgot that Barbra also turned down the lead in The Exorcist and Bagdad Cafe.

I've never heard that Cher was offered Nuts. From what I know it was Debra Winger then Barbra. Debra declined when the studio priced her out.

I saw part of something called "Finding Debra Winger". They interviewed Jamie Lee Curtis and she said something to the effect of "In those days it was always me and Debra Winger up for the same parts. The call would come down that Diane Keaton was attached to something else and now they were trying to decide between the two of us."

I read that Cher had the script of Nuts and was interested in it, but when Barbra swooped in and wanted it of course the studios wanted her because she was bigger box office.

R46, all I know for sure is that Miranda Richardson was the first choice. This goes back to Premiere Magazine articles from late 80s/early 90s which also mentioned Winger and Hershey in the top 4. I’m unsure where Adjani falls in. I googled and it seems Sherry Lansing came out with a memoir three years ago and listed a bunch of actresses including Adjani, Winger, and Hershey. No mention of Richardson, which I find really odd. Richardson is on record with being offered the role.

Jamie Lee Curtis is not in Searching for Debra Winger.

Holly Hunter turned down As Good As It Gets because they wouldn’t give her a reasonable amount of money compared to Nicholson.

Jodie Foster turned down Hannibal because she felt the way Clarice was written was a betrayal of the character.

The script for "Gorillas in the Mist" was tailor-made for Jessica Lange, but she became pregnant with her son, Walker, and begged Michael Apted to postpone filming for a year. But Apted already had a crew scouting for locations in Africa and couldn't wait any longer, so Lange regretfully declined.

Lange also declined "Places in the Heart" and dropped out of "The River" in favor of producing and starring in her own farm picture, "Country," with her partner Sam Shepard. The producers of "The River" were supposedly so upset with Jessica that they named the dying cow in the movie after her.

Jessica Lange doing Gorillas in the Mist a little more than a decade after her King Kong flop ... is a choice.

(Sherry Lansing recently said she was also considered Lange for Alex Forrest, which makes sense. She’s quite adept at playing crazy cunts.)

I cannot imagine how anybody thought Kate Winslet circa '98 could possibly pass as a man. She was all lush curves and softness, not just her body but her face, too. Were they going to CGI her?

Natalie Wood turned down Bonnie and Clyde because she didn't want to work with Warren, (she had tried to kill herself after his last visit to her house around 66, and he had, among other things, fucked Lana) she pretexted her therapy. She turned down Goodbye Columbus, The graduate, love story, butch Cassidy and the kid and Gatsby, because she wanted to stay with her children. Thelma and Louise was originally intended for Jane Fonda and Mia Farrow in the 70's. Alan Bates turned down traveling with my aunt because he didn't like the script, and K. Hepburn dropped because she wasn't interested without him. He turned down Sleuth because he couldn't stand Olivier anymore. Signoret dropped out of Zorba mid-shooting because the character made her look too old, she said to the director ' I have a young husband ' and had to be replaced by Kedrova who reshot her scenes and won an oscar. Vivien Leigh turned down suddenly last summer and the part went to K. Hepburn. She didn't want to work in Hollywood at that point and intensely desliked Taylor, who worshipped her.

Hepburn said she was fired from Travels with my Aunt.

No. She managed to be fired. She wanted to get away without financial loss. The lake was a lesson. The movie flopped

Lucille Ball -- The Manchurian Candidate

Thanks for posting that R39.

I didn’t know!

Reba McEntire was James Cameron’s first choice for the Unsinkable Molly Brown in Titanic, but after the film delayed McEntire had to drop out because of tour commitments and Kathy Bates took the role.

I’m in the business. What you read/hear in interviews is hardly ever true. I’d be surprised if much of what is asserted in this thread is true.

Madonna turned down Pretty Woman, at the time called 3000, to do Dick Tracy, Director Garry Marshall talked about meeting with her and offering her the part in his book

Madonna actually turned down or walked away from a lot of big movies, like Frida, Chicago, The Fabulous Baker Boys etc.

Interestingly James Dearden who wrote Fatal Attraction wrote in mind with William Hurt & Theresa Russell in the lead roles. Never heard of either of them actually being offered roles though given that studios and directors have a much bigger say than writers.

Alexander Payne wanted Gene Hackman for Nebraska but Hackman declined (though he has never officially retired).

I've never heard of Sigourney Weaver being offered The Piano but I know Sean Young and Rosanna Arquette were high on Jane Campion's 'wishlist'. Campion wanted a more physically dominating woman in the role so its funny how it ended up being the complete opposite the Holly Hunter.

Debra Winger as Alex Forests, interesting.

^Forrest obv

Wasn’t it Emily Lloyd who turned down Pretty Woman to star as Cher’s daughter in Mermaids and then got fired by Cher?

Just go to “not starring.com “. All this is on there.

R69. I think she could have nailed it. Miranda Richardson as well. I think Close was perfection, but if anyone could have surpassed her (If that were possible), it would have been Richardson. Interestingly enough, Close was older than all those who were offered the role, especially Richardson. She also had Michael Douglas supporting her, so that helped her get the role. It really flipped the script for her career (she got Dangerous Liaisons after that), but not as much as it should have for making such a bold move. Actors easily get pigeon-holed, and she basically played against type. A male actor would have reaped greater rewards for making such a choice and having such success for it. I mean, she was the reason that film was a box office phenomenon.

The thing is the casting of Glenn Close with brilliant because prior to Fatal Attraction she basically played 'earth mother' type roles so it was such a transformation.

Debra Winger even by 1987 was well known to be a crazy cunt - she would be have just be playing a variation of herself really.

R74, I agree that the casting of Close was brilliant. And also because most of the women offered the role (if not all) were more conventionally beautiful than Close. I imagine that coming off of 9 1/2 weeks, actresses who were pretty would be weary about working with the likes of Lyne. I imagine the fear of exploitation had to have scared them off. It’s not like Kim Bassinger was being taken seriously as an actress in 1986 (she had one Globe nod which could have been considered a fluke), and Jennifer Beals certainly wasn’t (I watched Flashdance recently and her performance is embarrassing sadly). Close had everything to gain by getting cast in a sexy Lyne film. It was brilliant out-of-the-box casting which doesn’t happen too often.

R68 Gene Hackman retired from acting after Mooseport a decade before Nebraska. He confirmed acting retirement a few years later while promoting a novel.

I mean, when you follow up Royal Tenenbaums with a generic war film, a John Grisham film way past his heyday (and he had already done one), and a film with “Mooseport” in the title, it’s time to pack up!

Michael Douglas didn't want Debra Winger for Romancing the Stone so he would have vetoed her doing Basic Instinct.

I wouldn't want to work with her - too difficult and crazy.

Julianna Margulies admitted in an interview that she was the third choice for Alicia Florrick in The Good Wife after first Ashley Judd and then Helen Hunt turned the part down.

Two well known here at DL: Fred and Ethel Mertz were written with Lucy's old friends and former radio co-stars Bea Benaderet and Gale Gorden in mind. But Benaderet was under contract to The Burns and Allen Show and Gordon to Our Miss Brooks and they both had to pass.

Wasn't the Good Wife developed with Elizabeth Shue in mind?

I didn't ' turn down ' the part. Harvey made me. He is to blame. For everything. I am a victim of patriarchy. No, I am a rape victim of patriarchy. I am NOT a talentless whore.

I love the reasoning Reba gave for turning down ‘Titanic.’ She said something like “I would have loved to do it but my entire crew, their families, and the fans were counting on that tour.” Class act.

Claire Danes also turned down a role in Titanic (Rose) because she knew she wouldn’t be able to handle the attention it would bring her. She said something like “I knew I wasn’t ready.” I respect that a lot, too.

Freshly Oscar-nominated Kate Hudson turned down “Spider-Man” to star in “The Four Feathers” to keep up a serious actress image. Hilarious in retrospect.

Cher turned down the chance to play herself in the X-Files episode The Post-Modern Prometheus. The episode is about a deformed man who is obsessed with Cher, and at the end of the episode Mulder and Scully take him to see her show.

Director Chris Carter asked Cher’s people if she’d do the cameo, but she declined because she thought it’d be hokey.

She later said she regretted it because it was a fun episode and that she should have done it.

When Auntie Mame was being turned into a musical, the producers first offered it to Rosalind Russell. She turned them down with the comment "I don't eat yesterday's stew."

Sarah Michelle Gellar turned down the Cameron Diaz role in “Games of New York” once Buffy got renewed for a sixth season (it had been up in the air whether season 5 was going to be the last or not).

I always wonder how her film career would have turned out had she gotten to do it.

Gangs of New York*

Paul Newman turned down the lead in All That Jazz because he didn't think the character was redeemable, but later wished he had accepted it, and described it in an interview as "a great mistake" to decline the role.

Jean-Louis Trintignant, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Alain Delon all turned down the lead in Last Tango in Paris. Trintignant was the first choice after the success he and Bertolucci had on The Conformist, and they even worked on ideas for the script together, but he became nervous about the sexual content and ended up dropping out. Belmondo then turned down the role outright and told Bertolucci he thought it was obscene. Delon was interested but only if he could also get a producer credit on the film, and Bertolucci did not want him to have that kind of creative control on the project, so he moved on, and only after that was the role offered to Marlon Brando.

One note on Sigourney Weaver, she didn't personally turn down the role in The Piano, her agent did so without informing her that the offer had been made. She only found out much later when Campion was giving interviews about the film and said she had originally been looking for a Sigourney Weaver type to play Ada. Weaver was disappointed and confused not to have heard about it before given that, as she said, she was "the original Sigourney Weaver type." It was only after speaking to Campion that she discovered her agent had been approached about it but had turned it down without telling her about it.

R82

Every A-List song-and-dance man approached about doing the original Broadway production of The Music Man turned the producers down, including Gene Kelly, Danny Kaye and Dan Dailey among others. That's how the show ended up with Robert Preston, then a B-List film actor who had never sung or danced.

Do actors really give their agents carte blanche to turn down anything and everything without even mentioning it to them? I can understand there being a slush pile that they wouldn't bother the actors with, but a Jane Campion film?

Maybe there was a scheduling conflict.

R90, Campion wasn't a major name at the time the film was in pre-production. The success of The Piano was what made her mainstream, before this she was an admired art house director, but not someone who all Hollywood agents would necessarily have taken a chance on with a high profile client.

Karen Carpenter turned down th role of the Acid Queen in Pinball Wizard.

R85 Sarah Michelle Gellar has been claiming that her TV commitments have forced her to turn down movie roles since she was on All My Children, yet when she isn't under contract with a show, she never seems to do good movies. I think she's full of shit.

Seriously, over the years she claimed that her AMC contract forced her to turn down roles in Romeo + Juliet, Clueless, The Crucible. She claims because of Buffy, she had to turn down roles in Unfaithful, Fight Club, and a few other things I'm forgetting.

Michelle Pfeiffer owns this thread.

Silence of the Lambs

Thelma & Louise

Basic Instinct

Pretty Woman

Casino

To be fair to SMG, R94, more than likely she believes she was offered those roles but in reality, her Agent was just telling her that to feed her ego.

Magically her schedule and contract allowed her to do Scooby Doo!

There is a book on this subject by Eila Mell entitled Casting Might-Have-Beens: A Film by Film Directory of Actors Considered for Roles Given to Others.

I have a hard time believing Martin Scorsese was really like "I need Sarah Michelle Gellar to play this role!"

Now might his casting director have asked her to audition? Sure. But that's quite different from being offered the role.

The idea of Julia Roberts doing Shakespeare in Love is hilarious. Not only did she seem to old by then but the thought of her attempting the accent is hysterical.

Hey! I love SMG in Scooby Doo.

R98 I had read that SMG had auditioned for Scorsese and was offered the role, but obviously I could be wrong

Claudette Colbert had to turn down All Bout Eve because of an injury. Bette Davis, Stanwyck, and Ginger Rogers turned down Mildred Pierce. Dame Olivia turned down Johnny Belinda. Cary Grant turned down My Fair Lady (film) and said he wouldn’t even see it without Rex Harrison. Montgomery Clift turned down Sunset Boulevard — after The Heiress he didn’t want to play another gigolo.

When Claudette Colbert had to drop out of All About Eve two weeks before filming was set to begin due to a back injury, the rush was on to find a replacement. Near the top of the list writer/director Joseph L. Mankiewiczwanted to talk to was famed stage star Gertrude Lawrence. A script was sent to her agent, who replied with a long letter stating her demands to consider the role. Some of it was really outrageous stuff, such as Miss Lawrence would not appear drunk or tipsy onscreen and Miss Lawrence would be given a song to sing during the party scene. Mank immediately dropped her from consideration.

The thing is, Lawrence's agent had never informed her of any of this and when the film was released, and Lawrence found out, she was furious her agent had shot down her chance to play Miss Margo Channing without even consulting her.

Thanks goodness Madonna turned all those down, R67.

Hunter is an excellent piano player and pursued the role in The Piano, but Campion kept putting her off because she felt Hunter was physically all wrong.

Eventually, everyone else said no, so Campion rethought her concept of the character.

Bette Midler apparently turned down Sister Act, Chicago, and..... Misery.

I can't believe she was seriously being considered for Misery, and apparently their #1 choice. That movie would have gone straight camp with her in it.

Debra Winger allegedly turned down:

American Gigolo, Arthur, Blue Velvet, Ed Wood, Ghost, Indecent Proposal, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Sleepless in Seattle.

Geena Davis supposedly turned down the role of Iris in Taxi Driver.

Sandra Bullock turned down Panic Room, Chicago, and Million Dollar Baby.

Lucille Ball turned down Klute

[quote]‘Klute’ — I turned that down because my husband Gary Morton didn’t want me to play a high-priced call girl onscreen, even though the role won an Oscar,” Ms. Ball said of Jane Fonda’s turn in the Alan J. Pakula classic. “It was stupid to say no to those pictures. As an actor you’re supposed to take jobs that will challenge you or force fans to see you in a different light. By the ’60s and '70s I wasn’t really an actor anymore. I was someone who got locked into giant bank safes with Mr. Mooney. I got so far away from what they told you in acting class: Do something different. Producers kept offering me the ‘Change of Habit’ movie opposite Elvis, but Gary said, ‘Your fans don’t want to see you in a wimple.’

R106 it would of went like this...

Aaron Shock turned down 50 Load Weekend so they made it with Dawson instead.

*Aaron Schock I mean. Bloody autocorrect spoiling my joke.

That video is perfect. That is EXACTLY how Midler would've played the role. Thank God she said no.

IIRC, Streep turned down Hocus Pocus, The Witches, and The Witches of Eastwick..

Bruce Beresford did not want Jessica Lange for Bridges of Madison County, and neither did Clint Eastwood.

Streep also turned down Fatal Attraction and at one time was considered for Working Girl (Sigourney part).

She wanted Evita and Catwoman in Tim Burton’s film but was considered too old.

Winger was beautiful, but not so conventionally in my opinion. She would have brought the crazy well, though yes I suppose better to have someone unexpected, playing against type.

LOL at Barbra being offered some of these films. She would have ruined them.

R110, would Lucille Ball have played a 60-year-old hooker in Klute?

She was offered the role, so, yes, R118.

Barbra did screentest for Star Wars.

Matt Damon turned down Harvey Dent in Dark Knight. Leo DiCaprio said no to Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights.

Would of? WOULD OF???

Speaking of casting Molly Brown, hands down the best of them is Thelma Ritter in 1953's Titanic.

Off topic, but one of my favorite dialog exchanges is from that film. Barbara Stanwyck informs Clifton Webb that she is going to divorce him and take their son to live with her in America.

Webb: YOU'LL NEVER TAKE MY SON AWAY FROM ME! NEVER!!!

Stanwyck: He's not your son.

W.C. Fields turned down Professor Marvel/The Wizard in The Wizard of Oz because MGM wouldn't or couldn't meet his salary demands. Ed Wynn also turned it down. They went with studio contract player Frank Morgan for budget reasons.

FUNNY GIRL was developed originally for Mary Martin and turned it down. She made the obvious assessment that they needed to hire a Jew to play Fanny Brice.

They burned through other well known leading ladies, all of whom turned them down. Finally, they had to abandon the project at a total loss, or try a new comer. Miss Streisand had the great great good luck to start singing in downtown clubs at exactly this time.

Ann Bancroft was considered for Funny Girl before Streisand.

You have to take some of these stories with a grain of salt.

Actors are notorious for bragging that they were offered roles when they were not.

‘The Bodyguard’ was written in 1975 as a vehicle for Steve McQueen and Diana Ross. However it got shelved for a few years when McQueen lost interest. In 1978, it was going to be made with Ross and an enthusiastic Ryan O’Neal who was looking to reignite his career but Ross pulled out at the last minute allegedly because of the nudity in the script or as O’Neal claimed among other accusations “Diana Ross does not want to be black”.

After years in production hell, it was discovered by new star Kevin Costner who set out to find a female lead. Madonna, being, at the time, the world’s biggest female pop star was first to be approached. Costner’s cameo in the documentary ‘In Bed with Madonna’ during the Paris leg of her world tour was actually part of his charm offensive. She however turned it down officially due to tour commitments, but the world saw her being quite dismissive of Costner in the documentary. Madonna went on to star in ‘Body of Evidence’.

Costner managed to convince another international pop star, Whitney Houston, to take the role by allaying some of her concerns about racial backlash and failure. The film became a worldwide smash and the accompanying soundtrack became the bestselling soundtrack in history.

A few weeks before the movie was released, I was watching one of those E! toe red carpet shows for a different event and Madonna was being interviewed. She sees a poster for ‘The Bodyguard’ points and laughs “I can’t wait for judgement day ... haha”. She was making the point, from experience, that the media and public would never accept a diva as a leading lady. How wrong she was.

Funny Girl was offered to Mary Martin, but it was not developed for her.

Joe Manganiello turned most of these down because of his schedule.

Mary Martin turned down My Fair Lady onstage.

Ethel Merman and Mary Martin, among several others, turned down Mame after Rosalind Russell passed on it. (Yes, Ethel was offered Mame Dennis!)

Ethel and Mary also both passed on the original production of Hello, Dolly!, but for personal reasons. Mary later led the first national tour which became the original London production and Ethel famously came in to raves for six months to close the Broadway production.

Barbra also turned down the role of Ennis in Brokeback Mountain.....

Here’s a bunch. It usually works out for the best

[quote] Tina made the right decision. She didn't turn down the lead in the Color Purple, just the role of Shug Avery. It's a lousy film.

CP has its problems, mostly at Spielberg's pastoral view of some pretty rough times, but flaws aside it's a great film. Tina, however, would not have worked as Shug - she would have overshadowed Whoopi as Celie. People would have "seen" Tina and not a character.

(Tina also said it was too close to home/reality of her young life for her.)

[quote] The project or version of the script they turned down sometimes has very little in common with the final product--Whoopi's Sister Act was so different in tone than the Midler version that Paul Rudnick took his writing credit off the movie

The Bette version was supposed to be much closer to her nightclub act - even the name of Delores comes from Bette's act. You can see where it would be somewhere between the nightclub/concert persona and Bette's Touchstone movies of the 80s if she had done the movie.

Julia Roberts also turned down the role Djimon Hounsou took over in Amistad.

Lucy turned down Rose in Titanic.

Gary told her the audience already saw her nearly drown in the shower repair scene with Viv.

Lucy was offered the role of Evelyn Mulray in Chinatown after Jane Fonda turned it down. She did have to do a screentest first, which is apparently still out there somewhere today:

Evelyn: “She’s my daughter.”

*slap*

Evelyn: “She’s my sister. . . .”

*slap*

Evelyn: “She’s my daughter. . . .”

*slap*

Evelyn: “She’s my sister AND my daughter!”

*double-take, look at camera, and spiderface*

[quote] CP has its problems, mostly at Spielberg's pastoral view of some pretty rough times, but flaws aside it's a great film.

If you watch The Color Purple right after Gone With The Wind, you will see what he is trying to do with the cinematography in that film. I never noticed the similarities until I took a Southern Studies class in college about the South in film.

I haven't seen The Color Purple in many years but I remember loving that movie when I was a youngster.

Shirley Jones turned down the role of Carol Brady because she thought TV would kill her movie career. A year later she changed her tune.

Of course by that point her movie career had actually been long dead.

R111 that is one of the best parodies I’ve ever seen. I laughed so hard when she started singing. Fantastic Bette impersonation. So glad Kathy Bates was Annie instead!

Speaking of Brokeback Mountain, I remember in some interview, Jake &Heath mentioned that they both tried out for Moulin ROuge, but Ewan McGregor got the part. This is true. I Remember because I had no idea either of them could sing. Of course I had no idea Ewan McGregor or Nicole Kidman could sing either.

Who knew Charlize Theron could dance? She studied ballet as a young girl, and she did that bit on the Oscars. I was impressed. She could have done Black Swan and robbed Natalie Portman of he rOscar.

Ewan McGregor was awesome in Moulin Rouge. Zac Efron would have been a decent consideration for the role if the movie came out ten years ago.

Mark Wahlberg on Brokeback Mountain:

[quote]“I met with Ang Lee on that movie, I read 15 pages of the script and got a little creeped out,” Wlahberg told the press. “It was very graphic, descriptive – the spitting on the hand, getting ready to do the thing. I told Ang Lee, ‘I like you, you’re a talented guy, if you want to talk about it more.’ Thankfully, he didn’t. I didn’t rush to see Brokeback, it’s just not my deal. Obviously, it was done in taste — look how it was received.”

What a relief!

R147 Marky Mark is an old former gay hustler desperate to put his gay hookup days behind him.

Kate Jackson had to turn down Krammer VS Krammer & Heaven Can Wait because of Charlie’s Angels & became a monster on set of the show. Jaclyn Smith had to turn down a 007 fluck for same reason. Julie Andrews turned down the Prime of Miss Jean Brodie because it was a nanny type role. She did Darling Lili instead & followed that up with a million dollar paycheck to not make a movie. Julie was briefly offered sweeney todd on bway . They hoped her bway comeback would sell tickets to the show. Sondheim wanted Angela, etc.

Fuck Mark Wahlberg. Playing a well-endowed porn phenomenon was not a problem for him at all.

Shia Labeouf turned down call me by your name

Charlize was apparently cast as Roxie in Chicago at some point when there was another director attached. When Rob Marshall stepped in, he started from scratch. I think she has the toughness for the role and she can definitely dance, but could she sing it? Then again, can most of the women they stunt cast in that role on Broadway these days?

Didn't Bette say the only way she would do Sister Act was if Disney convinced Pedro Almodovar to direct?

Disney refused.

Seems to me I read that in Movieline years ago.

Damn, I miss that magazine.

Olivia De Havilland turned down playing Blanche in the film of Streetcar.

Jamie Lee Curtis turned down Meg Tilly's role in Psycho II because she was trying to distance herself from the horror genre after doing 4 or 5 horror films in a row. Her parents were also approached for her to play Regan in The Exorcist when she was younger and they didn't think she was ready.

Matthew Modine turned down Top Gun. He didn't want to glamorize the military/war or something like that. Dumb move.

Might have been mentioned, but I think John Travolta turned down An Officer and and Gentleman.

I used to love Michelle Pfeiffer but I am glad she turned down all those roles. She was wrong for every single one.

[quote] Matthew Modine turned down Top Gun. He didn't want to glamorize the military/war or something like that. Dumb move.

This actually makes me think more highly of him.

Matthew Modine was in a few war movies.

It’s amazing that many of these women would never or rarely be cast now as a movie lead (Barbara, Michelle, Debra, Kathleen, Jessica, Julia, John Travolta, etc).

I suspect Travolta had enough of Winger after URBAN COWBOY and didn't need a second dose of her.

The story of Weaver's agent turning down THE PIANO without telling her reminded me of when Henry Fonda was first offered the role of George in the original Broadway production of WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF and his agent turned it down without informing the actor. Fonda was none too happy (he had liked Albee's THE ZOO STORY), but said that he couldn't complain about Stephen Hill (who got the role) as the latter gave a superb performance.

"Streep also turned down Fatal Attraction and at one time was considered for Working Girl (Sigourney part)."

She would have been disastrous in the former, and would have turned down the latter as it was a supporting part, despite Mike Nichols being the director. I love Weaver in the part anyway, and Streep eventually got to do Miranda Priestly instead.

Didn’t Streep fire Sam Cohn because he forgot to tell her Mike Nichols passed on directing Remains of the Day and the part was going to Emma Thompson?

Depending on who you talk to, Streep turned down Masha in King of Comedy.

LOL at John Travolta being an aging actress.

R128 Kevin Costner also wanted Princess Di at one point. I’m glad it was Whitney and not Madonna. Madonna can’t be vulnerable on-screen (not sure about off), which is essential for a romance film.

R158 Pfeiffer is one of those few actresses who I could imagine as Thelma or Louise.

Also, apparently when Streep and Hawn were looking to do a film together, T&L was one of the ones they considered. Hawn also did a TV special with Liza Minnelli to promote the idea of them doing Cabaret together (this was back in the early 1980s when the stage show was still on the fresher side). It seems pretty clear that Hawn was pretty aggressive about making films with other actresses, despite the few opportunities (she would do Death Becomes Her and First Wives Club in the 1990s and then worked with Susan Sarandon and will be reuniting with her FWC sisters sometime soon).

So glad Julia turned down While You Were Sleeping and The Blind Side. That resulted in Sandra Bullock stealing her career.

Sharon Stone kept turning down Dr. Kay Scarpetta, in those detective books (readers wanted Stone or Streep).

Streep turned down an American version of Prime Suspect, saying Helen Mirren was perfect and there was nothing she could add.

*Hawn also did Swing Shift with Christine Lahti (apparently there is a director cut bootleg available on the internet that is supposed to be better). And she also produced herself and Eileen Brennan to Oscar nods.

Meg Ryan was apparently supposed to be in Steel Magnolias (she mentions that as well as dropping out of Sleepless in Seattle).

IIRC Streep and Hawn asked for too much money for Thelma and Louise, as did Pfeiffer and Meg Ryan. Ridley Scott said Streep’s audition was good, but Goldie was not very good.

Didn’t Will Smith turn down The Matrix?

And Eddie Murphy turned down Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Madonna needs a comeback role with her new face. She could have played the fired, round-faced asian housekeeper in Parasite.

Wow. You could have just wrote “Housekeeper,” LAP.

Jesus.

*R165 Julia Roberts talks about. I’ve never heard Meg Ryan talk about it.

Also, Nicole Kidman has producing credit on In The Cut (Jane Campion). She was supposed to star in that film as well. Ryan was supposed to have been in To Die For.

She could play Baby Jane Hudson, R168, if she can find a director willing to use Lucy's MAME lens.

R82 Danes and DiCaprio didn't get along at all while filming Romeo and Juliet. I think that's more likely the reason.

Cher turned down Thelma & Louise and Midnight Run because she was in the throes of her Epstein Barr illness

She was also offered A Star is Born before Barbra but turned it down because there was so much upheaval from her divorce. She wanted to take time off for her kids.

R163 I think Costner wanted Princess Di for a proposed sequel, not the original film.

The interesting A Star is Born one is that Barbara wanted Elvis as her costar. Apparently, he wanted to do it but it was another in a long line of bad decisions he let his manager make. It was a role that might have gained him some acting respect.

LOL. Not as directed by hairdresser Jon Peters.

Before it was Barbra and Elvis, "A Star is Born" was offered to James Taylor and Carly Simon.

But it hit too close to home as Taylor was a heroin addict in a career slump while Carly's records were selling well.

[quote]Hawn also did a TV special with Liza Minnelli to promote the idea of them doing Cabaret together (this was back in the early 1980s when the stage show was still on the fresher side)

No, they wanted to do a film of "Chicago" together.

Grace Kelly turned down Hitchcock's Marnie

Vera Miles was supposed to be Madeline/Judy in Vertigo

Helen Lawson was offered Lana Turner's role in Peyton Place, but she turned it down to do Happy Cunting on Broadway.

Jessica Lange turned down the Dianne Keaton role in Marvin’s Room.

I remember when Jessica was dumped from Bridges of Madison County. It was when her movie career ended.

Basically any role that Sandra Bullock did was first turned down by (the far superior) Julia Roberts.

Same with Sarandon, Close, Spacek, Emma Thompson, Helen Mirren and Sally Field. Any part they got in the last 20 years was first turned down by the obnoxious and ubiquitous Meryl Streep.

Wasn’t the role of Winston Zeddemore in Ghostbusters written for Eddie Murphy, but he turned it down in order to star in Beverly Hills Cop? Good choice- ghostbusters was huge, but BHC made Eddie a star.

I never liked Ernie Hudson in the role, he wasn’t funny and just didn’t seem to fit. It would make sense if it had been intended for Murphy.

And I think John Candy was offered the role of nerdy Louis Tully in Ghostbusters, but he turned it down

Madonna is a boring director and an even worse actress. She almost got it right in "The Next Best Thing" but she fought with the director and made his life hell.

I think she's done with film.

I don’t think that’s entirely true. Those ladies made a lot of crappy movies, which was their choice.

R159, this article says he was against Cold War politics.

Streep was never going to do Nanny McPhee, Winchester, Late Night, Bloodline, AHS or My Name is Doris.

R172 Danes said that she and DiCaprio talked it over together. If they didn’t like each other would they bother?

Pretty sure Emma Thomson always writes a part for Herself in every screenplay, I doubt those parts are ever offered to anyone else.

Emma got one of the roles Streep wanted (Remains of the Day). Plastic Surgery Trainwreck “Mama” got the other (Patsy Cline).

Interestingly enough, Streep still ended up doing an intimate romance drama shortly thereafter (Bridges) and sang country at the end of Postcards.

Streep has done worse shit than Nanny McPhee and My Name is Doris. You understood my post perfectly well R188. All of these actresses have joked or commented on the fact that they are offered Streep's hand me downs.

[quote]Basically any role that Sandra Bullock did was first turned down by (the far superior) Julia Roberts.

hahaha. Far superior? Is that you Danny?

Julia Roberts is only good at being Julia Roberts.

I don't care if Sleepless in Seattle had been offered to Julia, she never could have even pulled that character off.

Meryl was never going to play Mary Todd Lincoln, thank you very much.

Streep has lost many parts - King Kong, Sweet Dreams, Remains of the Day, Evita, Thelma and Louise, Elizabeth ... well at least those.

Lucille Ball turned down the role of Maria in West Side Story. She wanted to do it, but Gary talked her out of it.

Sally and Glenn had it written in their contacts that only they would play in movies of Lincoln or Sunset Boulevard.

Goldie, Sally and Barbra(!) all wanted to play Sophie, but were turned down. Barbra also offered to play it for free but the studio said no

I can't imagine Streisand in Julia. What part...? She too clownish an actress to have played any role in that movie

Probably Lilian Helman. It’s weird to think of now.

I also have to say the current crop of actresses are really bland. At least in the 70’s and 80’s they were varied and gave memorable performances.

I’m not a huge fan of most young actresses. But Emma Stone has carved quite the career for herself, and Florence Pugh shows a lot of promise. I also have a soft spot for Elle Fanning (she has worked with quite the list of talent).

[quote]Julie was briefly offered sweeney todd on bway . They hoped her bway comeback would sell tickets to the show. Sondheim wanted Angela, etc.

Please provide a source or a link that Julie Andrews was ever offered Sweeney Todd. Someone may have briefly considered her but I highly doubt she was ever offered the role, even as a replacement.

Hal Prince's and Sondheim's first choice for Mrs. Lovett was Patricia Routledge. But Routledge was permanently settled in England at that point and had no interest in returning to New York for an extended period and turned it down. Prince and Sondheim were both more than happy when three time Best Actress in a Musical Tony award winner Angela Lansbury accepted the role and both loved her performance, which won her her fourth Tony.

Debra Winger claims she turned down practically every major female role over 3 decades. I don't believe her, In the early 80s she was hot shit, but by the end of the decade she had a string of flops and (fairly or not) had a bad rep for bring difficult.

Debra Winger also had Holy Hunter’s part in Broadcast News, because of James L. Brooks.

I heard Lucy turned down Kate Hepburn's role in On Golden Pond.

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio turned down the Eluzabeth Perkins role in Big. A mistake--a high profile comedy opposite America's Sweetheart Tom Hanks.

Angela Lansbury turned down the role of Nurse Ratched in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" and Sister George in "The Killing Of Sister George".

Lucy was indeed cast in On Golden Pond but she fell in the first day of shooting and almost drowned. As mentioned above, she'd had enough of that shit, thank you very much, and quit.

The cast that eventually made 'The Killing of Sister George' were perfect, Beryl Reid, Susannah York and Coral Browne were an unbeatable combination.

[quote]Angela Lansbury turned down the role of Nurse Ratched in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" and Sister George in "The Killing Of Sister George".

Correct, r206.

The story I heard about Henry Fonda and "Virginia Woolf" is much more interesting. Supposedly, when he saw the movie, he was blown away by it and told Mike Nichols how much he admired it. Mike Nichols told him he could have played George--they had offered him the part--but his agent kept turning them down without even telling him. Henry Fonda went to the nearest pay phone, called his agent, and fired him.

It's a really good story, though It's hard to imagine Liz taking the part without Burton, to be honest....But who knows.

For those not getting the "Lucy almost drowned" references above, Ball really did almost drown in front of the audience shooting the famous shower seen from The Lucy Show in the early 1960s. Vance barely was able to save when nobody else realized what was happening. But neither of those old broads ever broke character and that's the take that was used on the broadcast.

[quote]While filming the 1963 episode "Lucy and Viv Put In A Shower", in which the leading ladies attempted to install a shower stall (but become trapped inside, unable to shut the water off), Ball nearly drowned while performing in the tank of water.

[quote]She was unable to bring herself back to the surface, and it was Vance who realized there was a problem and pulled her co-star to safety; Vance went on to ad lib until Ball could catch her breath to resume speaking her lines (all the while, cameras continued to film).

[quote]"Neither the film crew nor the live studio audience realized there was a problem I found I had no room to maneuver. I couldn't get back to the surface again. What's more I swallowed a lot of water and was actually drowning right there in front of three hundred people who were splitting their sides laughing. Vivian (Vance), realising in cold terror what had happened, never changed expression. She reached down, pulled me safely to the surface by the roots of my hair and then calmly spoke both sides of our dialogue, putting my lines in the form of questions. Whatta girl! And whatta night."

Judy Norton Taylor turned down a starring role in the Poisidon Adventure.

It's well documented that Bette Davis campaigned heavily to do the film of Virginia Woolf with Henry Fonda. But Mike Nichols purchased the film rights and although he would have worked with Fonda, he had no interest in directing Davis at that point in her career.

John Travolta was signed to do American Gigolo He dropped out when his mother passed away.

Travolta would have been great in American Gigolo. People forget that he was once a pretty interesting and very sexy actor. Fantastic in Blow Out. He also turned down Forrest Gump.

Somewhere there is a vhs tape with Liza Minnelli’s disastrous audition for Evita for director Krn Russell.

You can easily find the Evita demos Michelle Pfeiffer recorded when it was revived in 1990. She got pregnant and left the project only to be replaced by Meryl Streep.

That didn’t get off the ground until 5 years later and Meryl was no longer attached.

JLo admitted that she auditioned but Madonna got it by writing an impassioned and manipulative letter to the Andrew Lloyd Webber

With a vert few exceptions none of these "turn downs" would have made any impact on these actors careers. Most of them weren't right for the part and it's a good thing that a more appropriate/talented actor was cast.

And how the fuck was Kate Jackson nominated for 2 Emmys for Charlie's Angels?

Judy Norton Taylor was going to star in Xanadu

It’s too bad the Meryl demos for Evita were destroyed. ALW said she was quite good.

The part I wish would be cast is Marisa Tomei for Callas. It was scrapped after Mike Nichols died.

R217 I pretty much agree. Reba in Titanic is one major exception. It could have majorly aided her acting career. Though as others have pointed out, I completely respect her reasons for bowing out of the role.

Contrary to Meryl Streep, she can't fucking sing. This idea that she would make a great Evita is insane. Meryl likes to sing and too many directors have let her sing, but she can't fucking sing.

Whatever. She practiced for months. No one knows if the film from Oliver Stone would have been any good, but she is much more talented than deadly Madonna.

Meryl is not a better singer than mediocre Madonna. Stop showing your age and ignorance. You're pissing me off. There's no whatever about it. I could explain to you why Streep can't sing in great detail. She can *sing* in her method sort of way. She's embarrassingly ambitious and terrible, in her singing and most other performances. She's very funny - as a singer.

Meryl’s “I’m Checking Out” and “Winner Takes It All” were quite moving.

She learned to play the violin for Music.

If necessary, she would do what needed to be done to play Peron and did a pretty good job, at least as good as Madonna, the acting of which was still a touch wooden.

Okay Jan. Go ahead and believe your delusion that Madonna is a great singer. I for one am fine to never see her again.

Ear damage

[quote] Somewhere there is a vhs tape with Liza Minnelli’s disastrous audition for Evita for director Krn Russell.

I've always heard that screen test was fantastic and people wonder why it is no longer around. It belonged to the Stigwood organization. I don't know who owns those assets now.

Who said that Madonna was a great singer? Not R223. Meryl is a grotesque singer. She's trained herself to sound more and more ridiculous. No real singer or musician in the world would claim that she can sing. I'm Checking Out and The Winner Takes it ALL make people under 70 cringe or laugh. I'm Checking Out ruined that otherwise not very good movie. Meryl is often terrible. Singing or not. Her face is busy, which some people mistake for talent.

That Cinesnatch dude is pretty weird and obviously very old and closed off. Small tight knowledge is not expertise. He's very defensive. (A racist on other threads too) Meryl CAN'T sing. Some of us know better. No more clips are necessary. Some of us are trained singers and professional musicians. The rest of us have ears.

It's an open secret that they had to bring in Broadway star Donna Murphy to sweeten Meryl's vocal tracks for Into the Woods.

I'm Checking Out is not a great song, but compare Meryl's horrible version from the movie with Reba's performance at the Oscars.

The Anonymous Streep-detractor has a history of making empty allegations and ageist remarks, among other nasty posts. Fact.

If I have made any racist comment, he’s free to point to it. Otherwise, it’s yet another odd lie and deflection which has zero to do with the subject being discussed.

Apparently, Reba, a professional singer would have made a better Evita? Lol.

Streep is an actress who can sing. Clearly there are people here who are measuring her against Adele or Whitney Houston when judging her vocal talent.

Madonna studied the violin for many months to prepare for her role as real life music educator, Roberta Guaspari, in "Music of the Heart," but she clashed with her director, Wes Craven, before filming began. Madge kept demanding re-write after re-write and even wanted to spice up the character by showing that she had an active sex life(!) Craven, known primarily as a horror movie director, wanted this non-horror project to showcase his versatility and wasn't about to let someone else run the show, so he refused. They mutually agreed to part ways, and Meryl Streep of all people took her place... and landed another Oscar nomination.

*Streep detractor meaning R228, etc.

Madonna is 25 years before my time. I was born in 1983. Meryl still can't sing. Cinesnatch is so defensive. Strange. that old white man is

Reba would make a better Evita than Meryl. That much is true.

R232 Of course not Reba would have been wrong for that role, though she definitely could have sung it better than Meryl would have. The problem with Meryl playing Evita, is that unlike most musicals, Evita is almost all singing. Meryl can just about handle a film where she acts and sings but there is no way she could carry a two hour movie of nothing but singing.

Who would have sung for JLo if she got Evita?

How much would they have had to pay Ashanti?

See what I mean, R228.

You’re ageist.

You deflect and unnecessarily personalise.

You can’t provide receipts.

If calling you out on your B.S. is being defensive, so be it. It’s a take for sure.

*shrug*

R236. Fair enough.

R236 it's not like Meryl would have been singing live.

R239 I'm not saying she couldn't physically handle it. I just don't think the audience could have handled it.

Meryl can't sing.

Hawn and Minnelli wanted to do CHICAGO together, not CABARET.

That would have been better than RZ and CZJ.

[quote] Who would have sung for JLo if she got Evita?

Betty Wand.

Yes Ken Russell liked Liza's audition for Evita but her casting was vetoed by Tim Rice who wanted his girlfriend Elaine Paige but Russell didn't want her. He was fired but Paige still wasn't cast.

Rickie wasn't a flash. Please Stop Singing. The public begged you Meryl. Still, you made made all those bomb movies trying to prove you could. Sing? Hell no you cannot. And after your hysterically bad take on the Winner Takes it ALL, they hired Donna Murphy to sing for you Into The Woods. Another terrible movie. Then you thought you should play a bad singer so people would realize how hard that was for you? No, you're always bad. Please don't do our things with other boys, tender Meryl. Can you promise to not sing again? Ok, no. There is no god.

[quote]R149 Julie Andrews turned down the Prime of Miss Jean Brodie because it was a nanny type role.

Yeah - a “nanny” who sleeps with a married man, sets up an underage student to sleep with him, then causes another student’s death. All the while teaching her classroom to revere fascism. Did she even read the script, or the novel?

She could NEVER have acted it.

[quote]R181 I remember when Jessica was dumped from Bridges of Madison County. It was when her movie career ended.

I always pictured Isabella Rossellini as that character.

R185 - Next Best Thing director John Schlesinger blamed his heart attack on Madonna's behavior on the set.

R214 He never would have shown dick.

Streisand famously drove acclaimed Funny Girl director William Wyler crazy shooting Funny Girl but he later said she should be forgiven because it was the first film she had ever tried to direct.

Donna Murphy had nothing to do with Streep’s vocals. That is an old wives tale perpetuated by one ignorant Datalounger.

R247, Bruce Beresford actually wanted Isabella, or even Catherine Deneuve, but Warner Bros kept pushing for Jessica. When Beresford quit after clashing with Clint Eastwood, Eastwood took the reins, dumped Jessica, and pursued Meryl.

Madonna is far from the worst greatest singer but she is better than Meryl any day.

Bette Davis also desperately wanted the Jessica Tandy role in Driving Miss Daisy.

Do people not realize Madonna’s whole career is lip syncing? She is a terrible singer.

At least Madonna does lip whispercoo.

*doesn't.

Yes. Around the 90’s Jessica stopped getting movie roles.

Meryl isn't really that bad of a singer. She's good in the same way someone like Angela Lansbury is. She can sing great in character and interpret a song.

Speaking of Meryl and singing, she was up for Mama Rose in a new movie version of Gypsy that was being planned to be directed by Mike Nichols after the success of the movie version of Chicago. She was asked to audition for Arthur Laurents, the show's book writer and he was so unimpressed that he said, in no uncertain terms, that she'd never play that role as long as he was alive.

R254, No. Her detractors accuse her of lip synching or using autotune, but then they ridicule her if she sings off-key, (which tends to happen if you can't hear yourself amongst all the loud instruments). She wouldn't be off-key if she wasn't really singing.

Apparently we could have a Meryl: The Singer? thread.

Is Meryl's singing much worse than Linda fucking Lavin's or Dixie Carter's?

I recently found out that Annette Bening was originally supposed to play the mom in the Freaky Friday movie with Lohan but dropped out two weeks before filming.

I can't wrap my brain around why she would even consider doing that movie.

That cunt Laurents' pronouncements have little effect now that he is finally DEAD.

What is it with Meryl and men with the last name of Laurents/de Laurentiis?

Does anyone think Barbra will make another film? It must have been crushing for her when Gypsy could not get financed. Plus her boutique films like Catherine the Great have never gotten off the ground.

R262 The Freaky Friday remake went through numerous casting changes. Originally, it was Annette Bening and Mandy Moore as the mother and daughter, with Kelly Osbourne playing the best friend, and Tom Selleck as the mother's soon-to-be husband. Everyone dropped out once Bening dropped. Kind of a big mistake given it ended up being a huge hit and JLC got a Golden Globe nomination.

The Charlie's Angels movie was supposed to have Thandie Newton in the Lucy Liu part, but the filming of Mission Impossible 2 ended up going long. Thandie later said it would've been a much smoother set with her and she never would have tangled with Bill Murray.

R266 I'm not sure it's accurate that Mandy Moore dropped out once Annette dropped out. Annette supposedly dropped out two weeks before filming leaving them scrambling to get someone to replace her. Lohan was already on board at that time.

I still can't figure out why Bening would even have done that movie.

Was she hard up?

I saw Meryl on Broadway in the Weill/Brecht musical Happy End in the late 1970s. It had a very short run. She was great.

This was before she had a film career. She could do more than simply carry a tune and was a very great song interpreter but yes, she's not a great singer. She can act and do more than merely carry a tune. In some roles that's enough. In others it's not.

Nicole Kidman has not turned down any roles. She wanted to be the daughter in Cape Fear but was told she was too old.

[quote]Although the series quickly went down the tubes, Murphy's career took off in 1994 with her breakthrough, Tony-winning role as the sickly (and, well, scary) obsessive in "Passion," another Sondheim and Lapine collaboration. Her second Tony came two years later for "The King and I."

[quote]By the time the 2002 revival of "Into the Woods" came around, Murphy was in a starry group of Broadway actresses. The role of the Witch went to Vanessa Williams. "They had their star," says Murphy. "I thought, 'Okay, it's not meant to be.' Flash-forward a decade: The announcement two months ago that Murphy had been cast as the Witch for the free Public Theater production ended weeks of rumors that the part would be played by Meryl Streep.

[quote] "Meryl was on the list," says Timothy Sheader, co-director with Liam Steel of the production, based on the 2010 Regent's Park staging in London. "The Witch is a big sing. I wanted someone who could deliver the musical material.

[quote]While conspiracy theorists will say the accomplished Broadway performer Donna Murphy is the one behind Meryl Streep’s vocals in Into the Woods during “Stay With Me,” this has not been proven.

[quote]Is Donna Murphy dubbing Meryl Streep in ‘Into the Woods?’ While conspiracy theorists will say the accomplished Broadway performer Donna Murphy is the one behind Meryl Streep’s vocals in Into the Woods during “Stay With Me,” this has not been proven. While the vocal inflections are virtually parallel, it is more than possible that Meryl simply studied Donna Murphy’s performance before filming the movie. Furthermore, it just doesn’t seem like Streep’s style, but that’s for you to decide.

Streep's style? Her style is church choir false break between chest and head voice, warbling. She's a terrible singer. 7th place at Karaoke. Amazing Grace was the end of Silkwood and we didn't need her homely singing then. It make Karen Silkwood seem stupid. That was not in character for the film. I'm sure that Streep thought it was humble and proud. She's most often gross, given the opportunity. Little did the public know that Streep actually had ambitions to sing and even crazier, got quite a opportunities to attempt it on film. Attempt. Of course few were brave enough to criticize her. Except for singers.

Into The Woods is A great play and lousy movie. They were all autotuned to death, so Merly does sound a bit better. She's an old woman who never could sing. I don't doubt that Donna Murphy helped her out. That gorgeous cutting belt (without Streep's messy vibrato) Meryl can't do. That song is pretty clearly the great Donna Murphy. Meryl has sold out all her previous loud mouth convictions to remain bankable. Whatever convictions are. Reba would have made a better witch too, come to think of it. And Donna Murphy is sublime. If only for few notes Into the Woods.

Meryl Streep cannot sing. Don't believe any other story. It's not even a matter of being terrible. She would be the alternate for the soprano in a high school production. Her voice just doesn't work. Ha. ha. Now come at me with her MamaMia Masterpiece.

Speaking of Freaky Friday, apparently Michelle Trachtenberg was originally hired to play the Lohan part but had to back out because of filming for Buffy. It was the second time she had to back out of a Disney project, the other being, The Parent Trap, where she was replaced with... Lindsay Lohan.

OMG - obsession much?

[quote]Meryl isn't really that bad of a singer. She's good in the same way someone like Angela Lansbury is. She can sing great in character and interpret a song.

Are you nuts? Not true at all.

Streep sounds fine. I don't know why someone is so invested in saying she's terrible. Someone sounds very jealous. I can't wait for Prom so your head will explode with more conspiracy theories.

[quote] Is Meryl's singing much worse than Linda fucking Lavin's or Dixie Carter's?

Dixie had a very nice voice.

I don't think Barbra or Liza will make another film. Their jacked up faces on screen would scare small children.

Dixie Carter did not make major motion pictures. Streep cannot, could not and should not sing. Why would I be jealous R274? You sound crazy and deaf.

You're obsessed Blanche! I think it's hysterical because she will keep making musicals just to make money and annoy your Donna Murphy fandom.

Meryl in 1982 singing in Alice in the Palace.

Angela is a much better singer than Meryl. Which is definitely not to say that Meryl can't sing.

Angela had to audition many times for Mame after all the original actresses sought turned down the role. But she worked very hard with Jerry Herman, who wanted her, and vocal coaches during the long audition process and her obvious improvement by her final audition was one of the reasons she was in the end offered the role.

She has also said that Sweeney Todd was by far the most difficult part she ever had to sing and she again worked carefully with vocal coaches to get her through.

It's ridiculous to compare Angela's superior voice with her committed vocal training to Streep's ability to carry a tune.

Clearly that's dubbed with Donna Murphy's voice.

OMG - I hope Streep makes 20 more musicals just to annoy you. I love her voice.

The planet is not your laptop and a hope to one day see the sky. Go to sleep little fat one. R282. Meryl can make as many musicals as the law permits. She will never be a singer.

Of course R280 is correct. Angela Lansbury is a much better singer than Streep. Please use that for comparison.

Wow, you are obsessed.

She already is a singer and is well paid for it. I love that you can't deal. LOL

A woman who can't sing is not a singer. Whether she is paid or not. Meryl Streep is not a singer.

"John Travolta allegedly turned down An Officer and A Gentleman, American Gigolo, and Chicago."

I think he would have been much better than Gere in Chicago

I heard that Kevin Spacey also turned down the male lead in Chicago

JK Rowling apparently wrote the role of Severus Snape in her books with Tim Roth in mind, and he was, in fact, offered the part before Alan Rickman, but turned it down for some stupid reason or another. He's said for years it was the biggest mistake of his career and I can't disagree.

Interesting that Meryl's biggest moneymaker ever was Mamma Mia. Probably her worst movie. And she didn't sing very well in it, (nor did anyone), but it could be why people think she's a bad singer. I think she sung Amazing Grace at the end of Silkwood, and she sang a duet with Carly Simon over the ending credits of Marvin's Room. She has a fine voice..... and with the help of a recording studio, she would have made a fine Evita... Was it mentioned that Michelle Pfeiffer was set to do Evita at one time with Oliver Stone directing?

Travolta would be better in most any part that Gere played ever. But at least with those two, we can see why they might compete for parts. Tiny eyes, a small range of emotion, actors who are alive on screen with their physicality and sexuality. Travolta shouldn't be laughed at. He's very talented. He has humor and charm and daring. Musicality. SEXY. Gere, is more sullen and angry. Fake sexy. Contained.

Mamma Mia isn't even close to being Streep's worst movie.

Uppity theater queens are the most insufferable people on the planet. Just say you don't like her singing voice. But saying she doesn't sing is extremely annoying. Clearly this a big grudge for you as you stares lol night at Donna Murphy playbills in mom's basement.

"Julia Roberts also turned down the role Djimon Hounsou took over in Amistad."

Was this before or after she played Harriet Tubman?

Mamma Mia isn't even close to Streep's worst singing. Where to begin? She can't sing.

Most people don't know this, but Joe Manganiello turned down a lot of the roles mentioned here first. He just couldn't fit them into his busy schedule.

You know who can't sing? Lindsay Lohan. I mean she can.. just not in tune.

Billy Crystal turned down Toy story. I guess they took pity on him and let him be in Monsters Inc.

R296 I did know that. I was posted earlier up-thread.

I ain't an uppity theatre queen R293. I am a classically trained musician and vocal coach. I sing too. I've won a Grammy and more important stuff. I've performed on Broadway and accompanied some of the best in concert. But, I've never met Donna Murphy. She obviously did dub Streep's vocals - Into the Woods. Meryl Streep cannot sing. Not professionally. Having a bit of range and being able to hum in bed to your boyfriend won't make you a professional singer. Meryl does fake singing. Badly. And it's hilarious. All that chest break into a false head voice, the uncontrollable vibrato - that gravelly sound she puts in for extra emotion. Her voice is TERRIBLE. Contrived. And it's not fixable. Because the bitch worked to get better and she should still never attempt more than Happy Birthday. AND her intonation is not good. That means she's pitchy dawg. She has a throat but she can't objectively sing. Emperor has no clothes but the press is still afraid to say? Nah. Lots of people have politely suggested that Merly rest her vocal cords. Permanently.

Enjoy this from Donna Murphy. A great theatre actress who is also a very good singer. Donna can sing more grand songs and she does. You're Welcome!

Goldie Hawn, Melanie Griffith, Jennifer Jason Leigh were considered for the role of Susan in "Desperately Seeking Susan" The studios first choice was Ellen Barkin but they didn't want to pay the salary she wanted because the movie was low budget.

And as they say the rest is history.

Cher turned down playing Morticia Addams. She would have been fun visually & with the quips, but nobody misses Cher. Angelica is a much better actress. She is sexy and can play sexy. Cher can't even fake sexy.

This has been posted before. With all the joking about Julia Roberts, a role she was offered and would have been great in was Al Pacino and Diane Keaton's daughter in Godfather III, The role that Winona Ryder dropped out of a week before filming and was filled by Sophia Coppola at the last minute. Julia was already committed to Sleeping With the Enemy and the schedules couldn't jive.

Could you imagine what a much better movie that would have been with believable chemistry between Roberts and Andy Garcia?

R171 and both movies were huge hits!

Penny Marshall discussed the following in her memoir: Debra Winger was to play the Geena Davis part in A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN but dropped out as soon as Madonna was cast, saying she didn't want to make "an Elvis movie." Apparently, she did not think highly of Elvis Presley's filmography -- nor of Madonna.

The film was a smash and spawned a #1 single by Madonna. Davis also got a Golden Globe nod.

I think Glenn Close was perfectly cast in Fatal Attraction. I can't imagine anyone else in the role, although I guess Adjani and Richardson would have been good. But I think why Close was so perfect is that she somehow made Alex sympathetic.

Where did the rumors start that Donna Murphy sweetened Meryl's tracks for "Into the Woods"? Is it because Murphy played the same role in Disney's "Tangled"?

No. People with ears picked up on it r306. Streep can't sing. That had already been established in her many previous attempts. Who the fuck was making her sound not just better, but good? Donna Murphy. Also, Disney. Donna. Meryl's vanity. Stephen Sondheim wrote a NEW song for her and gave her the charming self effacing classic Meryl story to tell on TV - "don't fuck it up." So of course they had to get Donna Murphy. Sondheim's great friend with similar tonality to Merly Strep Throat. But, Donna is a SINGER. A very good SINGER. Meryl can't sing. People with ears knew that already. So word got out.

Murphy has publicly denied that she had anything to do with Streep;s vocals in Into the Woods.

Murphy played the role in the last NY revival r306

Lucille Ball was originally offered the role of Bree Daniels, the iconic prostitute ultimately played by the brilliant Jane Fonda, in the movie "Klute"

But Gary Morton advised her against it...

r307 = Glenn

*In Gary's defense, Lucy felt she should play Bree Daniels as a teenage prostitute

And it was unclear if there was enough Vaseline and cheesecloth for the camera lenses

The recently deceased Denise Nickerson, who memorably played Violet Beauregarde in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and Amy Collins on "Dark Shadows," was offered the part of Regan in "The Exorcist," but her parents made her turn it down .

Warren Beatty turned down the title role in "Nixon."

In an interview in Premier Magazine from 2000 with Debra Winger she said she hadn't been offered any roles that interested her. The only films (and roles) she would have been interested in but wasn't offered were Fargo (Frances McDormand - no doubt first choice), The Straight Story (Sissy Spacek - first choice, good friend of David Lynch) & The Ice Storm (Sigourney Weaver).

All those three are great in those roles but Winger would have been an interesting and viable choice for all of them (even if she is a notorious cunt).

I forgot about Annette dropping out of Freaky Friday. It was a fun role that shows off comedic chops in the original and remake. Jamie Lee was a delight. I feel like Bening also turned down a role for her first three pregnancies. There was Batman Returns and Disclosure. The third baby gestation would have been 1996 and the film would have come out in 1997 probably. Or maybe I’m imagining it.

Beatty also dropped out of Kill Bill or something.

I forgot about Streep in Prairie and Woods. I loved her singing in that or whomever dubbed her. I believe if she was dubbed, the singer would have to contractually be officially credited.

Also, is the Grammy winner the annoyed convenience store guy? I see parallels. Can I get an amen?

I see parallels between cinesnatch and other ancient white fags on DL who worship Meryl Streep and think they know anything about singing. Take a seat old man. Call for the nurse. Whatever you do to soothe yourself. Watch some Donna Murphy on YouTube. I pray Jesus will visit healing upon your troubled mind. Amen.

Lol. I’m not a fan of Streep. Just taking the piss. Excuse me while I go clean my dentures and change my diaper.

Ah, okay. R317 is R228, etc.

So, this is the guy who accused me of making a racist comment. I called him out. He goes radio silent and fails to provide a receipt. And THEN he later conjectures about my race. Huh.

He’s ageist to several posters here. He has said some nastier false things in the past as well. He does all of this anonymously from behind a computer.

He feels very entitled to say untrue things and not be held accountable.

But he has won a Grammy folks and he’s donating his superior ears to the Smithsonian after he passes.

M couldn't carry a tune is if was strapped to her back, poor dear.

This thread's been hijacked.

Madonna was offered a lot of big roles, I think Hollywood was infatuated with her celebrity, same with Michael Jackson, and even though being a shit actress , she had her pick of A list projects in the 80s and 90s

I remember her saying she was glad she walked away from The Fabulous Baker Boys, because it was boring and mush Martin Scorsese also wanted her and Tom Cruise for Goodfellas as Karen and Henry Hill but they both turned it down (thank God)

There was Frida, which Madonna bought the rights too and developed for herself, only to sell them and drop out, Chicago, she was an early choice for Catwoman in Batman Returns but didn't want to do another comic book movie so soon after Dick Tracy, so she did A League of Their Own instead, Ruthless People, the Helen Slater part, which was supposed to be her follow up to Desperately Seeking Susan , it was even confirmed by Rolling Stone magazine in 1985 that she had signed on

Blind Date, dropped out because she wanted Sean Penn cast opposite her and they cast Bruce Willis, Kim Basinger then signed on

The Demi Moore role in Ghost was offered to Madonna too but Madonna read the script and thought it was "too mushy"

[quote] the singer would have to contractually be officially credited.

Contractually? Only if it is in the contract the parties signed. Only if it is in the contract.

R149 Jacklyn was probably offered Moonraker the worst Bond film ever so I think she dodged a bullet.

DL’s Own Grammy Winner/Dodge.3 has been at this for a while. He’s the expert. I give him credit for his acumen. Not his nasty attitude though. Excuse me while I go change my diaper again.

R304 I always wondered if the changed the script to "A league of Their Own" after Geena Davis was hired. The character of Dotty was suppose to be beautiful, Winger was pretty but not beautiful. She is more of a "Kit"

I’m thinking that if you’re cast in multiple romantic dramas at the height of your popularity, the industry probably considers you beautiful.

The definition of beauty amongst capable actresses was a lot different in the 1980s than it is today.

But the story has them focusing promoting the league with Dotty who was beautiful and feminine, Winger is slightly butch.

Max von Sydow is another one who lost out on an iconic role because of his agent: Bergman wrote the role of the main villain in Fanny & Alexander with von Sydow in mind but his agent said he would accept the role only if he got a percentage of the film's profits on top of his salary, without even telling the actor about it. The producers refused and von Sydow remains furious about it to this very day.

Liv Ullmann also turned down a role in that film because of scheduling conflicts and said later she greatly regrets it.

Debra Winger was going to do Peggy Sue Got Married but dropped out for some reason (maybe she was pregnant or other commitments) and she was of course replaced by Kathleen Turner.

Sally Field & Jessica Lange (and some other actress but I don't know who) turned down Serial Mom which ended up with Kathleen Turner in an iconic performance.

Remember how poor Liza even made a pilgrimage to Evita's grave in Buenos Aires, in her preparation for the role.

In 1981, Debbie Harry turned down the role of Pris in Ridley Scott's BLADE RUNNER. She was the director's first choice. Harry wanted to do the film but was forced by her record company to say no because she had to tour for Blondie's album The Hunter. The tour ended up bad, and the band broke up in the middle of it.

The role eventually went to Daryl Hannah and the film became a monster classic.

Debbie's acting style is certainly off, and odd, but the part of a cold sex android in a ragged futuristic setting seems a perfect fit for her. Plus in 1981 she was looking amazing. The character as played by Hannah seems modeled after Debbie Harry's image in many ways.

In many interviews and her recent memoirs, Harry says its her biggest career regret.

I feel responsible for the Donna Murphy/Meryl can’t sing Troll, who I believe is a drunk Donna Murphy. I brought up Reba in Titanic which then lead to Reba singing at the Oscars in place for Meryl and insanity ensued.

Debbie Harry would have been much better. Daryl Hannah was the weakest aspect of Bladerunner.

Natalie Portman turned down the role that went to Christina Ricci in 1997’s THE ICE STORM, because she didn’t want to do nudity.

Oddly, Ricci (herself no stranger to sexually-controversial roles such as those in BUFFALO ‘66 or BLACK SNAKE MOAN) turned down the part Jennifer Connelly ended up playing in 2000’s WAKING THE DEAD for similar reasons. Brooke Shields turned down the same part.

Ricci also said no to three fantastic turn-of-the-Millennium roles because she was signed on to other projects or because she aged out and moved on long before the films went into production. She was offered the lead roles as a first choice in GO (1999, as Ronna), GHOST WORLD (2001, as Enid) and a supporting role in THE RULES OF ATTRACTION (2002, as Lauren Hynde) with James Van der Beek; those great parts went to Thora Birch, Sarah Polley and Shannyn Sossamon respectively.

Meryl Streep is terrible as a singer.

I'm not sure if she turned down the role or they just went with someone else, but...

In 1977 Jodi Foster was the original choice by Lucas to play Princess Leia in STAR WARS. I've often wondered the small ways this would have changed culture when STAR WARS exploded in the late 70's, and the subsequent sequels. Not to mention the way it would have altered Foster's career (and Carrie Fisher's)

What about Meryl Streep singing in Prairie Home Companion. Was that dubbed by donna Murphy? LOL 😀❤️🎶

R337 Fisher wouldn’t have had a career without SW.

Can't see Jodi in the metal bikini

A ton of women claim that they passed on the role that went to Sharon Stone in Casino. I think that they are all lying. It's well-known that the part of sought after by many actresses because they knew that whoever played it would score an Oscar nomination. Which Stone did.

According to a profile of Stone in Vanity Fair, Robert DeNiro wanted Traci Lords for the role.

A ton of women claim that they passed on the role that went to Sharon Stone in Casino. I think that they are all lying. It's well-known that the part of sought after by many actresses because they knew that whoever played it would score an Oscar nomination. Which Stone did.

According to a profile of Stone in Vanity Fair, Robert DeNiro wanted Traci Lords for the role.

Leonardo DiCaprio was attached to Primal Fear at one point, but dropped out to do Romeo + Juliet because he wanted to work with Baz Luhrmann and he wanted to do Shakespeare.

Will Wheaton also turned down Primal Fear (I think he may have been the first choice), and later said that he regretted it.

R337 Jodie Foster wasn't acting full time by 1977, Candleshoe finished production in July 1976 and her next movie was Carny in 1979/80. I think she was focused on School/College around the Star Wars time.

R159 He was in Full Metal Jacket. While a war movie, does not glorify war or the military at all.

R226 A LOT of actresses were considered or attached to that part in Charlie’s Angels. SNL even made fun of it shortly after the film was released.

Gregory Peck and John Hurt passed on the lead in The Straight Story. Richard Farnsworth was David Lynch's first choice, but he initially passed too as he had been retired for several years at that point. I always thought he should've won the Oscar for it - it's such a beautifully dignified performance. He lost to Kevin Spacey for American Beauty.

If Jessica had done The Bridges Of Madison County we would probably have been subjected to seeing Francesca's tits, ass and puss-puss.

Didn't Anne Bancroft turn down the role in The Exorcist played by Ellen Burstyn?

Who is the weird Donna Murphy troll? That seems like a very specific and unusual obsession/personal belief that has nothing to do with casting. And if Meryl had a terrible voice they would not let her sing in so many movies. She can sell a song in character.

Jodie Foster was 13 when principal photography started on A New Hope in spring of 1976. If George Lucas really wanted her to be Princess Leia, who is the center of a love triangle between 20-ish Luke and 35-ish Han, that is incredibly creepy.

Then again, I could see it, since apparently Lucas really pushed for Marian to be 12 or 13 when she and Indiana had their fling that is referenced in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed.

What is it with him? Yuck.

Susan Sarandon was also an early choice for the lead in Serial Mom. As much as I love all those women and wonder what they would have done with the role, it's one of the best things Turner has ever done and I don't think I want to live in a world where that performance doesn't exist. She's hysterically funny in it.

Traci Lords has proven herself to be a very capable actress in recent years, so DeNiro's suggestion of her starring in Casino wasn't a bad one at all. She'd have probably been brilliant.

Liv Ullmann turned down the Angie Dickinson role in Dressed to Kill because of the violence as well as the Daria Nicolodi role in Dario Argento's Phenomena for similar reasons.

This Donna Murphy talk is fascinating, because don't a lot of Broadway queens get on her case about her pitch and intonation issues as well? She definitely has a stronger and heftier voice than Meryl, but it's not like her voice doesn't have its detractors, too. Singing voices are so unique - some people will love them and some will hate them. Meryl is a fine singer. Not great, far from brilliant, but she gets the job done most of the time. I don't think I'd want to hear her warble through the scores of Evita, Sunset Boulevard, or Gypsy though. Probably best those never happened.

Wasn't she also up for Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd, but decided to do Mamma Mia instead? Speaking of that, the list of actresses up for Mrs. Lovett all seemed better suited for the role than Helena Bonham Carter her little whisper of a voice. Toni Collette came close I heard, as did Emma Thompson (who at least got to show us how her Lovett would have been in that Lincoln Center concert), and Annette Bening (can she even sing?)

R346 And the tragedy of it all is that he shot himself several months after the ceremony. His prostate cancer had progressed and he decided to end it on his terms.

[quote]I remember when Jessica was dumped from Bridges of Madison County. It was when her movie career ended.

Lange won the Oscar (for BLUE SKY) the same year that BRIDGES was released (1995). Three months prior, in fact. ROB ROY also came out around the same time. It was in 1998 (around the time of HUSH) that Lange's film career took a nose-dive again.

Damn, Sister Act with Bette Midler and Pedro Almodovar directing would have been a scream! I always thought Bette should have made an English language version of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. The role would have been a natural for her.

Susan Sarandon was also up for Bridges. Jess also is known for bad box office, trashing her director and unfortunately drinking on the job, which all limited her casting.

I also think Jodie was too young for Star Wars, but everyone from Amy Irving to Sissy Spacek (?) auditioned for that role. It's rumored Carrie got it because she slept with George Lucas.

Streep was briefly considered for Alien, and Sigourney dated Don Gummer, who married Streep.

Weren't the original intended leads for La La Land completely different?

I was shocked to learn recently that Christian Slater was offered THE CROW before Brandon Lee. Talk about an AU...

[quote]Weren't the original intended leads for La La Land completely different?

Miles Teller and Emma Watson. Teller had just come from a big career high having starred in Chazelle's WHIPLASH, which was a hit and was nominated for several Oscars, including Best Picture. Watson dropped out to do Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST remake, Teller was unceremoniously dropped. There was a minor scandal about that regarding his displeasure.

Cillian Murphy dropped Once because he didn't think he had the musical talent and he was nervous about working with a non-actress as a leading lady.

Regarding La La Land, Chazelle claimed that he decided to drop Teller in favor of Gosling because he decided that the character should be a little older, because then it meant that he had been struggling to peruse his dreams for longer. Don't know if that's true, but the casting makes sense.

At what stage was Michael B. Jordan considered for La La Land. I thought he was close to getting it before they went with Gosling.

R359 According to Teller, he was upset with how he was dropped. He and Chazelle hit it off on the set of WHIPLASH, where Chazelle offered the part to Teller. The next he heard about the project was when his agent got a call from Lionsgate, informing him that Teller had been dropped from the project. Apparently, Chazelle had told them that he didn't think Teller was right for the part after all and was moving on. Teller then said he texted Chazelle with "WTF, bro?" He though they had had a closer relationship than that and was hurt that he didn't hear it directly from him.

[quote] Remember how poor Liza even made a pilgrimage to Evita's grave in Buenos Aires, in her preparation for the role.

She did have the enunciation required for the role!

Josie Foster went to college in the early 1980s. She wrote an essay published in Esquire about being in school when the assassination attempt on the president happened and how it impacted her life.

Robert DeNiro and William Hurt both turned down Dead Ringers. DeNiro was uncomfortable playing gynecologists and Hurt thought it would be too difficult for him to play two characters.

Forgive me if someone else posted this video of Goldie and Liza doing Chicago pretty damn well...

Yes, Chicago with

Yes, Chicago with Liza and Goldie was in development for a long time. It almost happened but in the end, it didn't. There were other proposed film versions that fell through before Rob Marshall's version actually happened.

Liam Aiken, who had previously worked with Chris Columbus on the hit comedy "Stepmom," was originally cast as Harry Potter but had to resign (reluctantly, I would imagine) when JK Rowling got wind of it and demanded that only British actors be cast. This was around the time that Renee Zellwegger was cast as Bridget Jones, which had pissed off many Brits.

Frankly, that was a cunty move on Rowling's part. Imagine being 10 and just having landed your first major leading role in the film adaptation of a wildly popular book series, only to be snatched from you by the author who disapproves of your nationality. You didn't see Stephanie Meyer ban non-Americans from portraying the male lead in the "Twilight" movies.

R366 here. Meant to thank R365 for those fabulous clips of Goldie and Liza as Velma and Roxie which were meant to promote their film of Chicago that in the end never happened.

R367 I’m sure Aiken doesn’t care anymore that he didn’t get Potter; in fact, seeing what happened to Daniel Radcliffe’s life in hindsight I bet he’s more relieved to be out of that mess than anything. Sometimes millions of dollars just isn’t worth it.

OT but Liam is a very underrated utility actor. He’s unassuming and maybe a bit plain or functional for some tastes, but really very good as a child & adult.

Liam was great in Stepmom, so was Jenna Malone

Was Verne Troyer the only American actor to appear in the Harry Potter franchise? I guess they had to make an exception for him, because British midget actors aren't exactly easy to come by.

Rob Marshal's film of Chicago found financing after the successful 1990s Encores' revival which transferred to Broadway over twenty years ago and is still running.

Tina Turner - Why I Turned Down "The Color Purple" & The Role Of Shug Avery

Michelle Pfeiffer & Meg Ryan - "Why I Turned Down Silence Of The Lambs"

Jodie Foster was choice number 3!

Someone mentioned John Travolta doing Chicago. He was attached to the project with John Woo was supposed to direct. Woo was the hottest director in Hollywood after Face/Off was a huge hit. I remember him talking about how he [Woo] wanted to make a musical and how it was like directing an action movie since fight scenes are so choreographed.

[quote] I remember him talking about how he [Woo] wanted to make a musical and how it was like directing an action movie since fight scenes 'so choreographed.

Well, there's something to that. I hate how in some musicals, for example Fiddler and Chicago, the dancer's body are shot completely above the waist. Who wants to see the dancers' legs?

Any more crazy Donna Murphy conspiracy stories?

Pfieffer and Meg Ryan - wow, they disappeared.

Jodie sure didn’t disappear. She’s 50! She can stretch, kick, and strut! She’s 50!

All That Jazz in R365 proves that Bob Fosse wasn't choreography: He was charades.

Re Anne Bancroft and The Exorcist. She was pregnant and director William Friedkin wouldn't wait for her to have the baby to then do the film. I think Jane Fonda declined the role.

R380, I'm not sure what the hell you're trying to say. But Bob Fosse did not choreograph that shitty television special. That awful dancing was created by Ron Field.

Funny that Brits get up in arms over Americans playing them but how many Brits end up playing Americans?

Exactly r383

Wrong R11. Day's soon to be dead husband turned it down because he thought it wasn't right for her.

And after Jean Stapleton turned down 'Murder She Wrote', Day was offered it, but declined as well. That was a mistake of course...would've revived her career and given her new fans that never knew her when she was a virgin.

And then that ungrateful bitch Angela Lansbury was offered the part, and that's why anyone knows who she is...

Well, after playing a serial killer in Sweeney Todd, Angela was good casting for Cabot Cove's serial killer. I mean it's amazing how nobody ever noticed that Cabot Cove's murder rate was about 20 times the national average and somehow Jessica always managed to be in the middle of it.

Debbie Harry turned down the role of Dorothy Vallens, written specifically for her by David Lynch. She cited already playing a "weirdo" as the reason for declining the role.

I wonder how she would have looked in this movie as she looked terrible in The Moth playing a teenage witch! Also filmed in 1986.

R380, how does it do that?

Compare it to Fosse's choreography for the same number (or even Reinking's knock-off) and you see how he avoids "charades."

Ellen Burstyn turned down taking part in The Exorcist II. I'm sure she thanks god everyday for that. Although Louise Fletcher is silent about her own part in the movie.

Ellen Burstyn turned down taking part in The Exorcist II. I'm sure she thanks god everyday for that. Although Louise Fletcher is silent about her own part in the movie.

I wish I was dead

Leonardo DiCaprio was attached to Primal Fear at one point, but dropped out to do Romeo + Juliet because he wanted to work with Baz Luhrmann and he wanted to do Shakespeare. He claimed to have no regrets.

Will Wheaton also turned down Primal Fear (I think he may have been the first choice), and later said he regretted it.

A bunch of actors (Matt Damon, Danny Masterson, etc.) have said that they auditioned for the role too.

Madonna, Goldie Hawn, John Travolta and Rosie O'Donnell were ALL signed to do Chicago in the late 90s

In fact, Madonna didn't tour for her Ray of Light album in 98/99 because she was actually in rehearsals for Chicago and was working with Goldie Hawn

She was also signed to star in Music of My Heart but dropped out due to creative differences with Director Wes Craven, so Meryl Streep signed on and received an Oscar nomination for it

It’s scary the multiple times of how close Madonna got to an Oscar nom/win. Wwinning a Globe for Evita must have meant she was just outside the top 5 I’m sure along with Courtney Love and Debbie Reynolds. And also Music from the Heart and Velma (I’m assuming Goldie would have been Roxie). Those would have been different films, but still ...

R394 her ego got in the way a lot of times

She actually had her own company and produced movies that she didn't star in that were successful, like the Agent Cody Banks films and Canadian Bacon, John Candy's last film, and she STILL couldn't get that Oscar caliber role for herself

Even Lorraine Bracco was Oscar nominated as Karen in Goodfellas, Scorsese wanted Madonna

Madonna was disliked intensely and rightfully was never nominated, so I don't think she was ever close to an Oscar.

Was she fired from Chicago?

I said what I said. It was as close as she got. And it was scary.

Tom Selleck was originally supposed to be Indiana Jones but had to pull out to film Magnum PI.

I wonder what happened.

This NY Times article talks about the people attached to Chicago over the years.

"Major stars and top-name directors came and went, sometimes ignominiously, sometimes summarily. According to interviews with a dozen of the principals involved in the long saga, Goldie Hawn was hired and then fired for being too old; Madonna was there at the contract signing in 1989 but not in the movie; Martin Scorsese was discussed as the director with Robert De Niro playing the tap-dancing lawyer; Nicole Kidman and even Barbra Streisand were wooed in vain. Larry Gelbart and Wendy Wasserstein worked on scripts, all rejected."

Also, Weinstein wanted Britney Spears to be in it. lol

I can't remember if it was before or after Rob Marshall, but Madonna had a disastrous rehearsal and was canned. They agreed to let her say she left the project, just like Music of the Heart, where she was also canned for being unprepared. In hindsight, when you look at all the random people attached to it, it's amazing Rob Marshall made it into such a successful film.

Nicole Kidman turned down Chicago to do Moulin Rouge.

Goldie and Madonna were signed to do "Chicago" back when Robert Iscove was hired to direct. Goldie, who had director approval, had misgivings about Iscove, whose work was mostly in television. But Harvey Weinstein, for some inexplicable reason kept pushing for him. Iscove, however, didn't work out and Nicholas Hytner was brought in. Hytner felt Goldie was too old and got her booted off. Then he had creative differences with screenwriter Larry Gelbart and Larry was out. With Goldie and Larry out, Madonna didn't think this project would ever get made, and dropped out to do "Music of the Heart," which didn't work out too well, as per R233.

The tale of Madonna getting the boot doesn't really make sense considering Goldie also disappeared from the project.

That NYT article doesn't mention that Bob Fosse had agreed to do the film of Chicago just before he died in 1987 and was to meet with Madonna.

Madonna could have worked in some incarnation of Rosie circa late 1980s. But If she was matched with Goldie, she would have been Velma, right? I can’t see Goldie as Velma, or maybe I’m not giving her enough credit. I have a hard time seeing Madonna as Velma, unless we’re talking in the later 90s.

R406 after Evita, she was signed to do a lot of big film roles, in interviews for Ray of Light, she mentions not touring for the album to concentrate on her film career, which is the reason that she filmed The Next Best Thing instead of touring in the summer of 1999

There is no confirmation that she was fired from Chicago because of a "bad rehearsal", from my understanding the film changed directors and went in a new direction, so the whole project was put on hold for a few years, when they went back to preproduction in 2001, it was decided to go with a new cast, so everyone tied to the late 90s incarnation (Madonna, Goldie, Travolta, Rosie) weren't asked back

Madonna was on tour and then starting filming Swept Away immediately after in 2001, so Chicago was no longer in her radar either

I'm glad we didn't get a 50-something Goldie Hawn as Roxie.

I was just looking at Goldie's filmography to see when I thought she'd make a good Roxie, and, man, I can't believe how few films she has done in her career!

Nine films in the 1970s (only four of which most people probably remember at best).

Seven films in the 1980s (though some are clearly forgotten, most, if not all, were box-office hits or known to some degree).

Eight in the 1990s (again, some forgotten and some stinkers, but most of them were well-publicised at the time).

Four of them in the 21st century (including a Christmas movie with her Kurt, which I didn't know about and there's going to be a sequel).

I know she took time off to take care of her mother in the early 1990s, but, she was already averaging less than one film/year as it were (and that average grew even smaller when she started working again).

Anyway, sorry, back to what I was originally going to write, I think that she could have pulled Roxie off even at 40 (when she was filming Wildcats), but anytime in her late 30s really. She looked old enough to have been around the block a few times, but young enough that she had the vitality to stage a comeback and wasn't veering anywhere near Norma Desmond territory. This would have been before she really started taking on the goofy roles beyond Wildcats like Overboard, Bird on a Wire, Housesitter, Death Becomes Her (which she is fantastic in)

But, I didn't like Chicago. Kudos to Rob Marshall for turning it into a hit though. I did like his Into the Woods.

In interviews with Terry Gilliam he talks about auditioning Madonna for the Jill Layton role in BRAZIL. I'm never sure of the capacity she was considered. This would have been 1984. The role eventually went to Kim Greist.

R409 A lot of famous actors have surprisingly sparse filmographies. Daniel Day-Lewis only appeared in 20 films altogether, and that's including a couple of bit parts!

R410 yes, Madonna also auditioned for the Lori Singer role in Fame the TV series and the Jennifer Beals role in Flashdance in 1982, before her debut album was even released, she had just finished recording it

In the summer of 1983, the summer her debut album was released, Madonna did a screen test with a just cast Kevin Bacon for the Lori Singer role in Footloose, it came down to Madonna and Lori. Paramount wanted to put that screen test, it still exists , on there Footloose 20th anniversary DVD but Madonna and her people put a stop to it

It'll surface eventually

Anne Hathaway dropped out of the lead for Silver Linings Playbook because she chose to play Catwoman in Nolan's Dark Knight finale, and his filming ran long. David O Russell re-opened casting and got Jennifer Lawrence instead, supposedly after a Skype audition. The rest is history.

Helen mirren almost dropped out of The Queen due to clashes on how she should play Her Majesty. According to sources, Mirren wanted to show The Queen's sexier side and wanted to play her scenes with Michael Sheen (Tony Blair) more flirtatiously. She also thought she should have a love scene with Prince Philip, to show older people still have libido too.

There was a clip of Madonna's Fame audition on some show I saw, I think it was on vh1. She was TERRIBLE

Oh the things I could spill on DDL!

Well get going r416, we're waiting!

If Madonna was close to getting the role in Footloose her audition couldn't have been that bad. Wonder why she'd want to bury it. Especially considering that we've seen more than enough of her embarrassing acting clips.

R413 Nevertheless, they both won the Oscar that same year (Hathaway for Les Miserables).

r87 Weaver was probably disappointed and did probably speak to her agent....but actors like her (At her height) are constantly sent projects. At the time, agents were authorized to turn down material if it did not have a $ amount attached OR was below a certain number.

Betty White turned down AS GOOD AS IT GETS because she didn't like how the dog would be 'mistreated.,' so the part when to Shirley Knight, instead.

OMG. I was staying with my parents at the time and our neighbour had seen it. Her first words were, "That poor dog was treated so badly." I wanted to reply "What about Greg Kinnear?!" but I was "polite."

Daniel Day-Lewis down the lead in Withnail and I which ended up going to Richard E. Grant. When they later made The Age of Innocence together, Grant went to visit him in his trailer and told him he owed his career to him.

Day-Lewis also turned down roles in Chernobyl and the Sherlock Holmes film which both ended up going to Jared Harris. Harris gave an interview recently where he talked about this and didn't mind that they had been offered to Day-Lewis first because it was good company to keep. He also said that before Day-Lewis retired everything got offered to him first, so there are probably many more roles he turned down over the years that people don't know about.

Julian Sands turned down the lead in Maurice because he was going through a personal crisis at the time, he left his wife and agent and took off to live in New York for a while. He dropped out very close to the beginning of filming and Merchant Ivory had to recast very quickly. But I think James Wilby was a better choice to play opposite Rupert Graves so it all worked out for the best.

Madonna's best acting was when she hosted the 1985 season opener of Saturday Night Live, she was actually funny, the writing was bad , but she parodied Princess Diana and Marilyn Monroe in "National Enquirer Theatre", she also played a Joan Collins type British nighttime soap star, who suspects her co star might be gay and could have AIDS in a sketch called "Pink listing". And a Mexican pop singer called "Meradonna" who sang a Spanish language version of AHA's Take on Me

Anthony Michael Hall, Joan Cusack, Robert Downey Junior and Randy Quaid were part of the main cast that season and they all worked well with Madonna, in fact Anthony Michael Hall filmed a whole bunch of commercials promoted the episode with Madonna

Simple Minds were the musical guests and they sang "Don't You Forget About Me" and "Alive and Kicking", the whole episode was VERY 1985

In a time capsule basically

Madonna also did pretty well in an early '92 SNL sketch featuring her, Roseanne, and Mike Myers as 'Linda Richman.' They were discussing Barbra's Best Director snub for "The Prince of Tides." and Streisand herself made a surprising cameo. Interestingly, Roseanne was the weak link in that skit, whereas Madonna was actually funny.

Funny, R425 and a few years later, Billy Crystal would use Madonna's appearance there to take a jab at, and insult, Streisand for another snub.

Billy Crystal insulted Streisand?

If Madonna would have gotten the role of Ariel in Footloose, she would have worked with her future brother in law, the late Chris Penn (he was the brother of Sean Penn) who played Kevin Bacon's best friend in the movie, Chris was also best man at Madonna and Sean's 1985 wedding

Speaking of Madonna and brothers-in-law, I just learned the other day that one of her sisters is married to Joe Henry.

R427. Yes. I can't remember what movie it was over, maybe The Mirror has Two Faces. Barbra wasn't nominated for whatever, but her song was, but she wouldn't perform the song.

Madonna wasn't nominated for Evita, but showed up to sing, "You Must Love Me."

When Billy intro'd Madonna he made some comment applauding for Madonna for showing up to perform even though she was snubbed a nomination for the role. It was a swipe at Babs.

Bela Lugosi turned down the role of The Monster in Frankenstein,because he felt it was beneath him. Funnily enough, he ended up playing the role in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man.

R431 I remember that! It was the 1997 ceremony when THE ENGLISH PATIENT inexplicably swept.

Yes, THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES was nominated for Supporting Actress and Best Song, a duet with Ryan Adams. But Barbra, for whatever reason, refused to perform it at the ceremony, even though she was present. Instead, Celine Dion, who was already performing another nominated song ("Because You Loved Me") stepped in and saved the day.

Thanks R424!

The SNL Marilyn Monroe/Madonna skit was one of the ones I could find. Cute and hilarious at times, but a little too dark and disturbing for me as well! Yikes. (Still liked it though)

She was good as Lady Di! Her British accent was better than that faux one she did for a couple years.

I sadly couldn't find "National Enquirer Theatre", British nighttime soap, "Pink Listing," or "Meradonna."

R433 I think it was Bryan Adams not Ryan Adams!

Billy intro-ing Madonna.

Bryan Adams has been Oscar-nominated three times! (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Don Juan De Marco, Mirror Has Two Faces). He also wrote a hit song for Three Musketeers. He wrote a song for Old Dogs as well. He certainly didn't have the thurst to win like Diane Warren.

Madonna doesn't always have the best breath support in that Oscar clip, but she doesn't sound bad. She was never known for being a great singer, but she stepped up her game here (as low as it were). Lady Gaga was much better doing Julie Andrews at the Oscars 18 years later.

This isn’t a Madonna thread

I auditioned for the role of a Donner Party Victim, but I was turned down because I was too thin and wispy.

Jane Fonda truly regretted not doing Bonnie and Clyde. She admitted this on Andy Cohen's Bravo show years ago (c. 2012).

This thread says otherwise, R438.

R428 I remember that moment when Babs walked into the skit. That was a huge surprise. I think Mike Myers may have known, but Madonna was definitely taken by surprise (Roseanne probably as well).

No one gives a shit about Madonna SNL trivia. She was and is a terrible actress so it's a blessing she turned down acting roles of substance.

Apparently, the villain of Supergirl was turned down by Dolly Parton, Goldie Hawn and Jane Fonda before they cast Faye Dunaway. I would have loved to see Dolly in that film.

But you care enough to be bothered, don't ya? DON'T YA?

Just in case there was any doubt that Billy Crystal was shading Streisand, the control booth cuts to her when he says it in R436.

R446 I remember it was a big deal when Streisand refused to perform her hit song. It was even weirder that she was in attendance and in the audience, as someone else (Celine) sang it.

R424 That was a great and very underrated episode. I thought it was hilarious and always wanted to see those skits again. But that's considered a bad SNL season and it's hard finding clips.

R448 I liked the promos with Anthony Michael Hall's, the same year The Breakfast Club and Weird Science came out, hands all over Madonna's body and in one Madonna says, "Watch the hands there body, Sean might punch you out!"

Can it get anymore 80s?

[349] I'm so glad I never watched any of that nerd's shit

Dolly must have turned down a lot of roles in the 80's. She became a movie star overnight, but she had so many commitments with touring, albums, Dollywood etc, I am sure you couldn't commit to many films.

Sally Field was the 5th choice to play the lead in "Norma Rae" (1979).

The part was turned down by: Marsha Mason, Jill Clayburgh, Jane Fonda, and Faye Dunaway.

Interestingly, Field beat three of those ladies for the Oscar that year. The Best Actress nominees were:

Jill Clayburgh - Starting Over

Sally Field - Norma Rae (WINNER)

Jane Fonda - The China Syndrome

Marsha Mason - Chapter Two

Bette Midler - The Rose

lol I cracked up at the People article that mentioned Rumer Willis turning down Gossip Girl.

[quote]Liam Aiken, who had previously worked with Chris Columbus on the hit comedy "Stepmom," was originally cast as Harry Potter but had to resign (reluctantly, I would imagine) when JK Rowling got wind of it and demanded that only British actors be cast. This was around the time that Renee Zellwegger was cast as Bridget Jones, which had pissed off many Brits.

I remember when Zellweger was cast as Bridget Jones some entertainment article said it was America's revenge for Vivien Leigh playing Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind.

After the controversy of Cynthia Erivo playing Harriet Tubman, I think there will incidents of British or Australian actors being pushed to turn down playing American historical figures in movies.

[quote]lol I cracked up at the People article that mentioned Rumer Willis turning down Gossip Girl.

In the scraped pilot, Gossip Girl was a potato.

A lot of people mentioned agents turning movies. Julianne Moore said after she found out that her agent turned down something she wanted to do (she didn't mention the role), she started reading scripts and deciding for herself.

Didn't Molly Ringwald also turn down the female lead in Ghost?

Rob Lowe turned down the role of Derek on Grey's Anatomy.

[bold]Liz Taylor[/bold] never campaigned for roles. Her mother did go all out to get her [italic]National Velvet[/italic]. Afterwards, she just did whatever movies MGM assigned her. But there was one exception, [bold]Grace Kelly[/bold] dropped out of [italic]Giant[/italic]. Liz having just delivered her second boy, went on a liquid fast and pestered [bold]George Stevens [/bold] until she got the title role. She was not v good in it, but it helped cement her star status in the mid-50s.

After she left MGM, her pattern continued and she accepted the roles that offered her the money she demanded. Again, one exception. Burton read [italic]Virginia Woolf[/italic] was going to filmed (w/[bold]Bette Davis[/bold] considered the shoo-in for Martha) and was surprised [bold]Jack Warner[/bold] even considered Liz. He told her that she had to do it - "just to prevent some else from playing Martha." Liz accepted at the height her fame and box office appeal.

Jack Warner was ecstatic until he found out she was vetoing all the Georges because she wanted Burton. Realizing the difficulty of the material and its lack of commercial appeal, he made the business decision to cast both of them. Liz wanted [bold]Fred Zinnemann[/bold] to direct, but the latter refused to work with "that drunkard, Burton." So after going through the list, the Burtons decided on [bold]Mike Nichols[/bold]. It was Nichols' first film, but Burton had seen a play of his on Broadway during the Hamlet run and felt he had potential.

[quote]Rob Lowe turned down the role of Derek on Grey's Anatomy.

Thank god. He ruins everything he is in.

[quote]Grace Kelly dropped out of Giant. Liz having just delivered her second boy, went on a liquid fast and pestered George Stevens until she got the title role.

Did she play Godzilla?

Judy said Liz wasn't particularly nice when they were children and attending the MGM one room school house together.

The original cast for Logan and Jessica in LOGAN'S RUN were Jon Voight and Lindsay Wagner(!) James Cagney was to play the old man, and William Devane was to play Francis. Everyone ultimately got switched or pulled out.

When Michael York got the role of Logan that lead them to casting Jenny Agutter because she also had a british accent. York also claims he was instrumental in the casting of Farrah Fawcett in the film.

R460 Well to be fair to Lowe, Grey's Anatomy ended up with too many ridiculous storylines and the behind the scenes drama didn't help much. Patrick Dempsey feuded with Isaiah Washington due to Washington's homophobia towards T.R. Knight. There was gossip that Dempsey's departure from the show was to due to behind the scenes drama with Ellen Pompeo and Shonda Rhimes. Lowe is known to be an egoistical asshole behind the scenes of TV shows and movies. Had he taken the part, I'm sure there would have been drama between him and castmates and/or Rhimes.

Patrick Dempsey brought an easy charm to the role that is beyond Lowe's ability.

Spacey turned down CHICAGO to do the forgotten PAY IT FORWARD. He would have been perfection as Billy Flynn.

Jane Fonda turned down the role of Sally in "Husbands and Wives" because Woody Allen wanted her to get a haircut! - Judy Davis took the part and got an Oscar nomination

R466 As much as I hate Spacey, I agree. He can sing, dance and play sleazy. He would've been great.

"Husbands and Wives" is one of Woody Allen's greatest films. Fonda was stupid indeed to turn it down, although Davis was sterling.

But Davis had long hair in the film! Could Fonda have not worn a wig?

Martin Erlichman in 2000:

During this past year of concert preparation, Woody Allen called Barbra to star in a film for him, but time wouldn’t allow. She would, I assure you, have loved to do it, would love to have worked with him and for reasons absolutely antithetical to your widely read guess about who she is. Barbra would have loved to work with a director who requires the actor to give up control completely. Woody doesn’t allow actors to even see dailies, which would have been fine with her. As she told me once, nobody can know what it takes to direct a film until you have directed one. It’s a very difficult job, and she would welcome having someone else carry that responsibility.

What film could this have been?

It's the comedy he ended up doing with Tracey Ullman instead. Barbra would have been great in the part.

R472 Small Time Crooks - yes I could see Babs in the Tracey Ullmann role or even the Elaine May role.

r461

Did she play Godzilla?

No, Grace married Prince Rainier

r377

I know this isn't the Broadway thread but since Donna Murphy has shown up a lot here, What happened with her in Wonderful Town?

She had a vocal injury. She could not sing. Needed to do less performances. The producers did not want to announce a reduced schedule nor did they want to release her from her contract, since she had gotten the reviews and they thought it would affect box office. Contractually, Murphy could not go public with her issues.

So her absences earned her a bad rep. When the real story came out years later it was less fun than the truth, so it persists in spite of new coverage of what really happened.

^^^rather "the truth was less fun than the rumors, so they persist...."

[quote]I always wondered if the changed the script to "A league of Their Own" after Geena Davis was hired. The character of Dotty was suppose to be beautiful, Winger was pretty but not beautiful. She is more of a "Kit"

I've wondered about that. There was more of a focus in the movie about Dotty being the ulra talented athlete sister and Kit being the less talented sister. Maybe, after Davis took the role , there were charges to focus more on Dotty being beautiful in addition to her baseball talents.

This might have mentioned upthread, Moira Kelly was originally supposed to play Kit. She had to drop out due to an injury while filming The Cutting Edge .

Donna Murphy began missing performances because she couldn't get time off from Olive Garden.

An evil director forced me to turn down a role.

Natalie Portman did not turn down The Ice Storm because of nudity; she turned it down because it was too sexual. The fan letters she got from The Professional freaked her and her family out.

I think ever male actor in Hollywood turned down Ghost and Misery.

Ellen Degeneres and Halle Berry turned down Speed (1994)

Anne Hathaway turned down Knocked Up (2007) because she was offended by the live birth scene.

Rachel McAdams turned down The Devil Wears Prada. She wanted to do less commercial films, like the one she did around the time of Prada- The Family Stone.

I could see her in Prada.

AnnE turned down Silver Linings Playbook

Some of these might have been blessings in disguise for all involved. Sometimes, an actor might seem perfect for a part on paper, but they wouldn't have mixed well with the director's concept or their co-stars, so it's best that they didn't get a role. There's a lot more that goes into casting than simply "can they act and/or look the part?" I've worked in casting and it always broke my heart to have to reject truly great actors just because they had no chemistry with the actors they'd be sharing their scenes with. It really does come down to stuff like that many times.

You'd bring in two actors who were each perfect for their individual roles, but their vibes didn't match during the chemistry read. Casting is truly a sort of magic or science.

R483 I think The Family Stone was pretty commercial. It was a Christmas movie released in December.

And The Family Stone had a very large cast of well known actors.

While The Family Stone looks like a commercial Christmas movie on the surface, I remember being surprised by how vicious it was at times. It has some pretty unlikable characters and the movie didn't try to sugarcoat them and I appreciated that. I can't remember how it was received at the time, but I don't remember it being a big hit.

The Family Stone grossed $92.8 million ($123 million today) on an $18 million budget ($24 million today). Quite profitable. Isn't that the definition of commercial?

I guess it was commercial, but when she rejected Prada, she told them she wanted to do less commercial films. Her films right after Stone (2006) were films I've never heard of, so I guess she tried that route for a year or two.

I hated The Family Stone. What an incredibly mean-spirited movie.

Didn't The Family Stone involve TWO men wanting to fuck Sarah Jessica Parker?

Was the entire film science fiction?

Bette Davis turned down Mildred Pierce, and was furious that Joan Crawford won the Oscar for it.

Davis also wanted to play Ouiser in a movie version of Steel Magnolias, when the play was still being performed on Off-Broadway. She suggested that Katharine Hepburn could play Clairee and Elizabeth Taylor as M'Lynn.

This was just a few years before she died.

David would have been fabulous in that part.

Streisand turned down Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune and it's a big shame.

How did the Frankie and Johnny lead go from Streisand to Bates to... PFeiffer?!

R491 I know! That family was awful and very sanctimonious! Talk about giving liberals a bad name. I totally sided with SJP's character.

I think Natalie Portman turned down Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Lolita (1997) for the same reason.

Ralph Macchio turned down Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) because he wanted too much money (or at least his agent did) and Back to the Future (1985) because he misunderstood the concept.

I heard Matthew Broderick turned down Duckie in Pretty In Pink.

I suppose because F&J is a female part that could be played a number of ways. I find Pfeiffer a stretch. I'd have loved to see Streisand and Pacino together. But once again, when challenged Streisand backed down. I think she doesn't have confidence in herself as an actress.

Lindsay Lohan turned down the Heather Graham role in The Hangover because she didn't think it would be a hit or a good career move. She also thought the same about rehab.

Poor Lohan. Terrible taste, ruined her face. (that rhymes)

[quote]She had a vocal injury. She could not sing. Needed to do less performances. The producers did not want to announce a reduced schedule nor did they want to release her from her contract, since she had gotten the reviews and they thought it would affect box office. Contractually, Murphy could not go public with her issues.

[quote]So her absences earned her a bad rep. When the real story came out years later it was less fun than the truth, so it persists in spite of new coverage of what really happened.

Same excuse Laura Benanti used for constantly being out of The Wedding Singer, only hers was a "neck injury" incurred during Into the Woods.

Lindsay had an envious career by 2005. Freaky Friday (Aug. 2003), Confessions of a Drama Queen (Feb. 2004), and Mean Girls (Apr. 2004) were all hits, with the first and third being smashes. Then she fucked it all up.

The difference is that Benanti has a history of missing performances that spans years. Murphy only missed shows in this one production, which gives her story credibility.

Cher turned down The Admas Family and Thelma and Louise,

Not precisely on topic, but interesting to think about. According to the SERIAL MOM Wikipedia page:

"During pre-production, Waters suggested other actresses for the role of Beverly including Meryl Streep, Kathy Bates and Glenn Close, before [Kathleen] Turner was cast."

As magnificent as Kathleen was, how great would it be to hear Meryl's Beverly prank call Glenn's Dottie Hinkle? Or vice versa?

Rachel McAdams turning down The Devil Wears Prada, but doing Morning Glory a few years later was insanely stupid.

R508 How come?

R506 Interesting. The only actresses I'd heard Waters mentioned in an interview years ago were Jessica Lange & Sally Field. To be honest I don't think Close or Bates would have been good casting as they had already played unhinged characters. I can't for the life of me see Streep in the role - I don't really care for her in comedy roles. I can't see Lange in the role other. However Sally Field would have been an inspiring choice - America's Sweetheart as a psycho bitch. Kathleen Turner of course is great in the role and the most fearless actress of all those listed. She really was a great casting choice. Even though like Bates & Close she had played crazy before she did bring sides to that character that she had never done before. I always feel that when a person is great is a role that they were the best choice in the end.

Would Kathy have been able to pull off the courtroom scene where Serial Mom distracts the witness by repeatedly spreading her legs? Wouldn't that have scared the poor man to death?!

I'd always heard it was Susan Sarandon that Waters had wanted for Serial Mom. I can't really see her in the role. Sally Field, on the other hand, could have really worked well. The idea of Gidget ramming a fire poker into a guy's back in a urinal is inherently funny.

R499 The version I heard was that Barbra wanted to be in the film but Gary Marshall wanted Pfeiffer.

I think Meryl would have been very good in Serial Mom.

She could have brought some of She-Devil vibe to it. Yes, that was a bad movie, but Streep was very funny in it and had the arch tone that would have suited Waters' movie.

Sarandon would not have worked.

Susan is as funny as a wet fart in a white pantsuit.

[quote]Stanwyck: He's not your son.

R123 Thank you! When people talk about iconic lines - (I won't be ignored, Dan) (You talkin' to me?) - I can't believe Stanwyck's line isn't in the top five!!

[quote] Forgot that Barbra also turned down the lead in The Exorcist

She would have been brilliant as little Regan.

Bill Murray turned down Forrest Gump.

I never liked Bill Murray.

Brad Pitt reportedly left Mr and Mrs. Smith after Nicole Kidman dropped out and her replacement had not yet been found. Once Angelina Jolie signed on, he returned to the project and the rest is history.

Cate Blanchett was originally signed to play the role of Anna (Julie Roberts) in The Closer, but due to her second pregnancy she had to drop out of the film.

Mark Ruffalo was originally offered the male lead in Jlo and Jane Fonda's Monster-In-Law, but declined.

Jessica Lange was attached to do "Marvin's Room" for Robert DeNiro's production company, and she had her pick of sister to play. She eventually settled on "Bessie," but she dropped out and the part went to Diane Keaton. It would've interesting to see what magic would've happened had Lange stuck around to play opposite Streep.

Jean Stapleton turned down "Murder, She Wrote."

Sorry, just saw that Stapleton and "Murder, She Wrote" was previously mentioned.

I remember someone explaining to me how complicated Hollywood casting is. They wanted Tim Robbins to play Mark Van Doren in Quiz Show. But he was attached to Shawshank Redemption which was scheduled to shoot at the same time. Shawshank could have delayed production to accommodate Robbins doing Quiz Show, but Morgan Freedman has a pay-or-play contract. The Shawshank producers would have delayed production if Quiz Show paid Freedman.

So the producers of Quiz Show would have had to pay Freedman his entire Shawshank salary to get Robbins. They decided it was not worth it, so they let go of Robbins and hired a miscast Rafe Fiennes. And the film tanked.

Would it have worked with Robbins? Would it have been wiser to pay off Freedman to get the actor who was better for the part? That is the kind of hypotheticals they deal with out there.

Quiz Show was still a great movie and a major Awards player.

Sissy Spacek was going to play the Kelly McGillis role in The Accused but had to back out due to pregnancy.

[quote] I sometimes with actors could speak about the roles they turned down and say "Look, I liked the script, but I was already signed on to do something else" or "I never got the script, because my agent must have turned it down for me." This stuff happens all the time.

Julianne Moore insists on reading every script for her that is sent to her agent.

It's kind of sickening how many agents will turn down a potentially good role for an actor because they don't think they'll make a ton of money off of it. Not every project needs to be a million dollar payday and the most interesting ones probably won't be.

r526 then Kelly McGillis was given the choice of which role she wanted. She chose the lawyer. Jodie got the Oscar and Kelly never got a major film again so I guess that was a bad move.

I wonder if Kelly McGillis chose the lawyer part because she was raped years before.

Dana Delany turned down Sex and the City.

Carrie Snodgress was going to play Adrien in Rocky until her agent asked for 100,000 for her. Stallone wanted Harvey Keitel to play her brother. Snodgress was in rehearsals and then they just stopped calling.

Bette Midler was offered Adrian too but her manager wanted her first film role to be a star vehicle so they waited and she eventually found The Rose.

R529, McGillis wasn't given a choice at first. Paramount made huge bank out of her from "Top Gun" and "Witness," so they wanted her to play the rape victim in "The Accused." She refused point-blank because she did not want to revisit her own sexual assault six years prior. Paramount was pissed. She was hot at the box office, and Paramount needed her. So she offered to play the lawyer instead, on the condition that they hire girlfriend Jodie to play the Sarah character. Jodie had been away at Yale and her return to films at that point was largely unexceptional, so Paramount wasn't exactly thrilled, but they tested Jodie and she got the part.

So McGillis and Jodie were together prior to the film? I never heard that before.

[quote]I wonder if Kelly McGillis chose the lawyer part because she was raped years before.

That would have been a good story to get Oscar votes. Jodie used the Hinckley thing to get hers. (actually I don't think she brought it up, but the press assumed she was drawing on her own victimization.)

This video covers some of the actors who how turned down parts in The Lord of the Rings movies. Some had huge regrets about it later.

Viggo stepped in for Nicolas Cage, Russell Crowe, and others who were offered that part before him.

Did Brian Backer turn down Risky Business or did fire him at the last minute?

R2 and R3 are still the best things about this thread

R500 and R501 Todd Phillips said that LiLo "loved" the script.

"I did meet with Lindsay Lohan a little bit [before casting Graham], and we talked," Phillips told The Hollywood Reporter. "Honestly, it felt like she ended up being too young for what we were talking about. People love to attack her for everything, like: 'Ha, she didn't see how great 'The Hangover' was going to be. She turned it down.' She didn't turn it down. She loved the script, actually. It really was an age thing."