Thirteen Famous Movie Roles
that Were Nearly
Played by Someone Else
Legend has it that before Bogart was cast in Casablanca, Ronald Reagan was actually a contender for the role. Ronald Reagan as Rick Blaine, the cinema’s ultimate romantic? Ronald Reagan as the ideal champion of the underdog? Ronald Reagan saying, "Here's looking at you, kid?" Oh! The horror!
That got me thinking about other rumored first choices for roles very much identified with other actors. Some are interesting alternatives, while others are best filed under, “Huh? What?”
1. Bruce Willis as Danny Ocean in Ocean’s 11 (actually played by George Clooney)
2. Sandra Bullock as Maggie in Million Dollar Baby (Hilary Swank)
3. Demi Moore as Lucy in While You Were Sleeping (Sandra Bullock)
4. Molly Ringwald as Molly in Ghost (Demi Moore)
5. Will Smith as Neo in The Matrix (Keanu Reeves)
6. Al Pacino as Ron Kovic in Born on the Fourth of July (Tom Cruise)
7. Sally Field as Loretta in Moonstruck (Cher)
8. Cher as Thelma in Thelma & Louise (Geena Davis)
9. Jane Fonda as Norma Rae (Sally Field)
10. Meg Ryan as Clarice in Silence of the Lambs (Jodie Foster)
11. Paul Newman as Quint in Jaws (Robert Shaw)
12. Goldie Hawn as Roxie in Chicago (Renee Zellwegger)
13. Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Arc (Harrison Ford)
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. Mama Pajama gets in the Wayback Machine and brings back hits form the 1980s
2. Tink has a very ACTIVE TT
3. Suprina's bumperstickers will make you smile
4. Impworks goes beyond the Beatles to celebrate all that is Liverpool
5. Nicole's TT takes us on a trip to the salon
6. Nicholas' TT is book titles. Very specific book titles.
7. Damozel compares and contrasts the American and British politcal systems
8. Comedy Plus has 13 bumpersticks with attitude
9. Susan Helene Gottfried's TT is the unvarnished truth about Shapeshifter groupies
10. Mummifiedx5 shares what she cannot live without
11. Janet has a TT that's all Z
12. According to Lori's TT, I'm older than dirt.
13. DK shares perceptive quotes about art, writing and creating
14. If only Worksformom knew then what she knows now ...
15. Nancy shares award-winning photos … her own!
16. Sasha's TT is very positive and uplifting.
17. Kat is very productive when she's waiting in line.
18. Jenny McB fills us in on her hectic life.
19. Emmy Rose's TT is about movies, too, but it's more romantic than post
20. l^2 bids farewell to summer
21. Tanabata's TT is gloriously peaceful.
22. Joshua's ambitious TT encompasses everything from shopping in France to curing cancer!
23. Busy91 has a pleasantly surprising cinematic TT.
24. J. Lynne shares 13 universal truths.
25. Harlekwin introduces a hysterical new vocabulary
26. Elisa shares 13 books she enjoyed so much she read them twice
27. Starrlight gives us a list of riotous rock quotes.
28. Sniz takes us on a tour of Walmart
29. Go back to school with Mama Lee and pick up some excuses for cutting class.
30. In honor Leona Helmsley's wealthy heiress pup, Bernie lists 13 famous dogs
31. Callista highlights some funny, funny commercials.
32. Maribeth's TT is a list of positive symbols and what they mean.
33. Sparky Duck and Pink have 13 questions for the President.
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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#6 is shocking to me! Great post! I love stuff like this....I should do more researching on-line. Fun TT!
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine some of those. Mostly I'm happy with the way the roles turned out, but I'd like to see the movies with the first ones too... great Tlist!
ReplyDeleteMy TT lists 13 activities / sports I did or still do.
I think Tom Selleck would have been perfect in Indiana Jones.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, Harrison Ford did a great job.
Great List!
Happy T13!
I remember reading an alternate history story based around the premise that Ronald Regan took the part that John Wayne had in the film that was shot where the atomic test had been done and if my memory is right was linked to his death. The story's big what if was what if John Wayne had been President in the 80s.
ReplyDeleteGreat list :-)
Ouch! I'm glad many of those first picks didn't happen!
ReplyDeleteHappy TT!
I haven't seen but a few of those, but I can't imagine anyone but Ford as Indiana Jones. Paul Newman would have been excellent as Quint.
ReplyDeleteI'd have LOVED Goldie as Roxie, but seems as if she was kind of old for the part (?) Anyway, I can at least imagine her as Roxie. But Meg Ryan as Clarice? And RR instead of Bogart? No. Just: no.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a great list. I didn't know a one of them either. Have a great TT. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, some of those ARE hard to imagine. I wonder what the movies would have been like if they'd been cast that way?
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this. I like reading trivia like this :)
ReplyDeletehow about Johnny Depp as the vampire Lestat? THAT would've been AWESOME!!!
ReplyDeleteHey, that was great!!
ReplyDeleteWow...what great info. Thanks for sharing:)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great list! Some of these actors would have done a fine job in these roles, but I'm glad they turned out the way they did :) Have a terrific weekend and stop by if you get a chance!
ReplyDeleteDK
A Flyover Blog
these are my favorite types of lists. this was very interesting (especially #1)!!
ReplyDeleteWow! Fascinating list! I cannot see Will Smith as Neo as well as Demi Moore as Lucy...
ReplyDeleteHappy TT!
I agree with Nancy. When you get to watch a movie already, you cannot imagine any other actor playing the characters. Great list!
ReplyDeleteOh excuse my while I finishing retching over here in the corner. I CAN NOT EVEN IMAGINE CHER in Thelma and Louise.
ReplyDeleteSome of these are plausible, but others really do make you go huh.
Wow, great list. I wasn't aware with any of these :)
ReplyDeleteHappy T13!
Very interesting. I don't remember who was the first, but Julie Andrews was the second choice for The Sound of Music.
ReplyDeleteHappy TT!
Wow, interesting list! I'm glad that most (if not all) of these first picks didn't happen. I can't imagine some of those roles (like Indiana Jones) being played by someone else.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! Some of them might've worked but some of those I just can't imagine!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI love trivia but I didn't know any of these. I can't imagine all of them in the movies you've mentioned. Great List! Happy TT!
ReplyDeleteGoldie Hawn as Roxy??? Scratches head. No way. Renee was perfect. I can see a few of these, like Will Smith in the Matrix and Jane Fonda as Norma Rae, aside from that, it is hard to wrap my brain around some of these. Come visit me, mine is movie related this week too.
ReplyDeleteRonald Reagan was also once turned down the role as President of the US in a movie because they said he didn't look Presidential enough. Huh.
ReplyDeleteHappy TT.
Sally Field as Loretta in Moonstruck? I can't imagine her on the same screen with Nicholas Cage let alone in a passionate scene. Come to think of it, does she kiss on screen?
ReplyDeleteThese were really interesting and none of the movies would have been the same if they'd used somebody else!
Happy TT!!
Gary Cooper as Rhett Butler instead of Clark Gable in Gone With the Wind.
ReplyDeleteGreat list!
OMG...Gipper as Rick?!?!? That is sick and wrong!
ReplyDelete1. No. Sorry. Danny is smooth. Bruce is many things but smooth ain't one of them.
2. I could see that. Hillary annoys me though.
3. Demi annoys me.
4. That move is so revoltingly sappy that I would hate to see Molly in it.
5. Oh HELL no.
6. Um...no.
7. No how no way. That role was Cher.
8. I can't see it. Louise maybe but Thelma no.
9. Can you say typecast?
10. No. Sally is too fluffy to play Clarice. I read the book long before the movie and Jodie was perfect.
11. ANYTHING that puts Paul Newman on screen is ok by me.
12. Goldie is a bit long in the tooth to be Roxy. Kate Hudson could do it.
13. Again, this would have caused a rip in the space time continuum. Harrison IS Indy.
Great TT~!
You know, it would be fascinating to see all those movies side by side with the different leading actors. I know its not realistic, but since acting is such a subjective thing, seeing actors playing the exact same characters with the same scenes and lines would be a fun, obvious comparison...kinda like what a casting agent does on a regular basis, so we could see a little of what they see---if we agree with their choices, etc. Hey, wait a minute, isn't that every reality show where they have judges that kick people off?
ReplyDeleteGreat list! I love facts like this - great to know when playing trivia!
ReplyDeleteBTW I've given you an award. You'll have to check my blog to see because I'm not sure how to put a link in comments! :)
What a great list of "almosts." Funny how life plays out.
ReplyDeleteHappy TT!
Would love to see a list of bombs because the first person didn't take the role.
ReplyDeleteFascinating.
I linked to your TT at 13 Famous Dogs
Interesting! Most of those don't seem to strange. My TT is my 13 favourite commercials.
ReplyDeleteNeat List. I could see Meg Ryan being Clarice
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Maribeth
www.marnini.wordpress.com
The Reagan thing isn't a "legend". He had to opt-out because he was doing double-duty as a Cavalry Training officer and making Army prop-and-training films.
ReplyDeleteThey completely re-wrote the character for Bogart.
I could buy Cher in Thelma and Louise and Selleck as Indy, beyond that, those decisions would have been bad.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the additional info, Artful Sub, but the story is 100% complete as you tell it, either. As LEGEND* has it, it was rewritten when Bogart was cast, but not BECAUSE of the casting of Bogart. Supposedly director Michael Curtiz had a very big hand in the rewrites and all these daily revisions made both Bogart and Bergman nuts.
ReplyDelete*Yes, it is indeed a legend as defined by Webster's, or we wouldn't have competing versions of this. (I'm a writer, after all. I know these things.)