Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones ... NOT!

September 28, 2006 7:54 PM

Your favorite movie stars and the roles they didn't get. Edward James Olmos instead of Christopher Llloyd? JODIE FOSTER INSTEAD OF CARRIE FISHER?!
posted by WolfDaddy (45 comments total)

So they picked wrong both times?
posted by ?! at 7:58 PM on September 28, 2006

Christopher Walken: Considered for the role of Han Solo.

Imagine how different our cinematic landscape would be if Star Wars had starred Sean Connery, James Caan, and Jodie Foster.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 8:01 PM on September 28, 2006

A brief aside-
Before Star Wars: Episode II came out there was a fake preview released that somehow managed to show Christopher Walken in Jedi Robes waving a lightsaber around. After seeing that I had such hopes...
Only to have them crushed...
posted by lekvar at 8:05 PM on September 28, 2006

Orson Welles as Batman?
posted by octothorpe at 8:09 PM on September 28, 2006

I've seen Tom Selleck's screen test for Indiana Jones and it's about as ridiculous as you could imagine. Not his fault, I guess. Harrison Ford IS Indiana Jones, as far as I'm concerned.
posted by dhammond at 8:11 PM on September 28, 2006

From the front page of the website:

"This website is provided as entertainment only. As you can imagine, this type of trivia is prone to rumor and gossip. We try hard to corroborate entries, but we do not guarantee the accuracy of any content."

So basically they are basing all the content of the website on heresay, rumor and, in possibly many cases, outright lies.

Cool. Hey, while we're making shit up, i heard they were gonna cast PeeWee Herman in the role of The Terminator. I have no proof of this, but since this is supposed to be entertainment only, who cares right?

Imagine how different our cinematic landscape would be if Paul Reubens had been cast in the role. they totally would have had to rename the franchise The Masturbator.
posted by Effigy2000 at 8:12 PM on September 28, 2006

Bill Murray was considered to play Batman.

Yeah, I totally believe that.
posted by interrobang at 8:16 PM on September 28, 2006

Specer Tracy would've been just great in Philadelphia Story. It's not like that would have ruined the film.
posted by Miko at 8:17 PM on September 28, 2006

After seeing that I had such hopes... Only to have them crushed...

How could you have any hope at all after Episode 1?
posted by loquacious at 8:24 PM on September 28, 2006

Youthful optimism, I guess. I won't be making that mistake again, I assure you.
posted by lekvar at 8:27 PM on September 28, 2006

Christopher Walken: Considered for the role of Han Solo.

Imagine how different our cinematic landscape would be if Star Wars had starred Sean Connery, James Caan, and Jodie Foster.

Imagine?
posted by keswick at 9:59 PM on September 28, 2006

Gah, if they can't even spell Sir Ian McKellen's name correctly..
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 10:44 PM on September 28, 2006

You know it's funny, I always dissed Tom Selleck when I heard that he was the original choice for Indy, I mean really, Magnum, P.I. as Indy?... Absurd.

Then I saw Quigley Down Under, and I realized that, you know what? Everything I liked about Indy, Tom brought to the screen in Quigley. Humor, action, pathos, all of it.

Don't get me wrong, Raiders is probably my favorite movie of all time, and as far as I'm concerned, Ford is Indy in every respect.

But I have to acknowledge that Selleck could have pulled it off. It wouldn't have been as good, it wouldn't have been legendary. But it would have been competent.

It's not high praise, but it's praise nonetheless.
posted by quin at 11:04 PM on September 28, 2006

Not even Jodie Foster could do anything with a line like "I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain."
posted by George_Spiggott at 11:09 PM on September 28, 2006

I think it was more tragic that Klaus Kinski turned down Raiders of the Lost Ark (probably playing an evil German), that would have been incredible.
posted by bobo123 at 11:22 PM on September 28, 2006

I can't imagine Pricess Leia carrying around her Boo-Boo Kitty.
posted by killy willy at 11:30 PM on September 28, 2006

The Orson Welles-Batman thing is a myth, made up a couple years ago by comics writer Mark Millar.

Also, it seems like half of these entries are based on Saturday Night Live skits (I'm thinking of the Richard Dreyfus as C3PO entry in particular, which I have seen on SNL).
posted by papakwanz at 11:31 PM on September 28, 2006

I also call bullshit. Tom Hanks more economical than Paul Newman? Gimme a break.
posted by killy willy at 11:35 PM on September 28, 2006

One of the most interesting, longest-running Hollywood casting sagas was for Gone With the Wind. Imagine Scarlett played by Lucy. Tallulah. Lana. Kate. Joan.

And, of course, the one screen test people still talk about.
posted by rob511 at 11:40 PM on September 28, 2006

I also call bullshit. Tom Hanks more economical than Paul Newman? Gimme a break.

In 1995, I can see that.
Tom Hanks only became _Tom Hanks_ around that time when he won the Oscar for Philedelphia and Forest Gump.
Depending on when they were negotiating, Tom Hanks may well have been cheaper.
posted by madajb at 11:57 PM on September 28, 2006

Dear! - Meg Ryan as Clarice in The Silence of the Lambs? Thank goodness that this not happened...
posted by nea7 at 12:22 AM on September 29, 2006

"Go ahead ... make my WAY!"
posted by RavinDave at 12:36 AM on September 29, 2006

I like the ones that say someone was offerred the role and turned it down. I like the ones that say someone auditioned for a role. I even sort of like the ones that claim someone was lobbying for a role. But the ones that say someone was being "considered" for a role (most of the entries, I believe) are just asinine.

I am pretty sure that many, many movies start out hoping to have Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, etc. Stating that a producer/director's pipe dream is the same thing as "consideration" is just silly.
posted by flarbuse at 1:27 AM on September 29, 2006

I love this thread.
Nice post.
posted by squidfartz at 2:34 AM on September 29, 2006

Chuck Norris in The Karate Kid?
Chuck Norris turned down the part of John Kreese (Cobra Kai Sensei).

.
posted by darkripper at 2:36 AM on September 29, 2006

Yeah, a lot of these are completely unfounded. For example, the one about Jim Carrey being the first pick as Dr. Evil makes absolutely no sense, since aside from Carrey being much more prominent an actor at the time, Mike Myers' entire schtick is playing multiple roles in his films... why the hell would he make his next vehicle movie one where another actor upstaged him?

In fact, Carrey is like the king of unfounded casting rumors here. They have the damn Zaphod one up there, which was debunked four years before they started filming the movie.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 4:27 AM on September 29, 2006

Mike Myers' entire schtick is playing multiple roles in his films...

Was it? Who else does he play? You can't use "Fat Bastard" -- that was written for Chris Farley (Meyer's said this on "Inside the Actor's Studio").
posted by RavinDave at 4:46 AM on September 29, 2006

I was all set to corroborate, from some SF/movie magazine article I read circa '94-'96 about the development of the '78 Superman movie, the notion that Muhammad Ali was considered (for something like ten minutes) for the role of Superman, but they didn't even have that listed!
posted by kimota at 5:09 AM on September 29, 2006

The funniest one I ever heard was that Eddie Murphy was supposed to be one swept up in Capt. Kirk's whale-hunt in "The Voyage Home". IMDB says:

The film was originally supposed to have 'Murphy, Eddie' instead of Catherine Hicks. Murphy was supposed to be a professor concerned with UFO's who spots the de-cloaking Klingon ship at the Super Bowl. Apparently, all others are convinced the ship is a half-time special effect while Murphy believes it is real. Paramount declined this script for two reasons: Paramount didn't want to combine their two most profitable franchises (Star Trek and Beverly Hills Cop), and Murphy had signed on to do The Golden Child (1986) instead.
posted by RavinDave at 5:15 AM on September 29, 2006

Specer Tracy would've been just great in Philadelphia Story. It's not like that would have ruined the film.
posted by Miko at 4:17 AM GMT on September 29 [+] [!]

I love Spencer Tracy (especially with Hepburn), but if he'd played the reporter it just wouldn't have been at all believable that Hepburn would marry Cary Grant instead of him. The Hepburn/Tracy chemistry was just too strong - they would have to end up together at the end of the film. Jimmy Stewart was a good choice, and he played the tempted drunk so well.

(Hepburn, Tracy and Stewart are three of my favourite actors from the period.)
posted by jb at 5:25 AM on September 29, 2006

bing crosby as columbo has got to go down as a close shave
posted by CliveDallas at 5:32 AM on September 29, 2006

If Toshiro Mifune was cast as Obi-Wan, I would be the biggest Star Wars buff around.
posted by Dr-Baa at 6:14 AM on September 29, 2006

Imagine?

You're a brilliant one, keswick. You might want to check the link in my original comment.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 6:59 AM on September 29, 2006

Lionel Richie was going to take Sam Jackson's part in Pulp Fiction.
posted by parmanparman at 6:59 AM on September 29, 2006 [1 favorite]

Paramount wanted Ernest Borgnine to play Vito Corleone in The Godfather, and suggested Warren Beatty, Alain Delon, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson, Ryan O'Neal , Robert Redford, and Burt Reynolds for Michael Corleone. Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Anthony Perkins auditioned for the Tom Hagen role. The DVD has screen tests of Robert De Niro trying out for Sonny and Martin Sheen trying out for Michael.
posted by kirkaracha at 7:21 AM on September 29, 2006

"Lionel Richie was going to take Sam Jackson's part in Pulp Fiction."

"Say you say me, motherfucker! Do you speak it?"

Yeah, that would have been lame.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:31 AM on September 29, 2006 [1 favorite]

this is a load of fun to poke through, thanks!
posted by Busithoth at 7:45 AM on September 29, 2006

I love Spencer Tracy (especially with Hepburn), but if he'd played the reporter it just wouldn't have been at all believable that Hepburn would marry Cary Grant instead of him.

Except that Hepburn said later that she asked for Clark Gable as C. K. Dexter Haven. Now, that would have made a very different Philadephia Story altogether!

I remember also that Bette Midler was asked once if she had "turned down" the role that Whoopi Goldberg later played in Sister Act. Bette replied that she had seen a version of that script, but that she hadn't liked it at that time. She indicated that the script was heavily rewritten from the time she saw it to the time Whoopi played it. (Apparently Dolly Parton was attached to that picture for a time as well.)

We sometimes get the idea that a screenplay or a film can exist in only one ideal form, and that this ideal form would be obvious to anyone who read an early draft or treatment. In fact, even so clearly "right" an ending as the "This is Mrs. Norman Maine" tag in A Star is Born was an afterthought, written and shot after negative reactions at previews.
posted by La Cieca at 8:02 AM on September 29, 2006

Was it? Who else does he play?

Michael Myers played Charlie Mackenzie and Charlie's father in So I Married an Axe Murderer, and Austin Powers and Goldmember in Austin Powers in Goldmember (as well as playing both Austin Powers and Dr. Evil in all of the Austin Powers movies).
posted by kirkaracha at 9:05 AM on September 29, 2006

Jules: I want you to go in that bag, and find my wallet.
Pumpkin: Which one is it?
Jules: It's the one that says 'Hello, is it me you're looking for?'
posted by kirkaracha at 9:10 AM on September 29, 2006 [2 favorites]

Nick Nolte would have made a good Han Solo. Half a cigarette stuck in his mouth. Blue beat-to-shit Millenium Falcon convertible. Ex-wife. The whole thing.
posted by Smedleyman at 11:25 AM on September 29, 2006

oops
posted by keswick at 12:06 PM on September 29, 2006

It would be great if these listings were more trustworthy. A mechanism to flag known falsehoods would be nice.

As it is, I expect Stephen Colbert to show up as being "considered" for Indiana Jones and Superman.
posted by pmurray63 at 3:47 PM on September 29, 2006

3. Tom Hanks in Jack?
4. Robin Williams in Big?

Oh man, that would have been NUTS!
posted by mrgrimm at 1:40 PM on September 30, 2006

what is interesting about such propositions is that it goes to show how generally trivial actors are in terms of good movies, i.e. script and director are much, much, MUCH more important.

yet i do suppose the actors have much more influence on the BO.
posted by mrgrimm at 1:42 PM on September 30, 2006