They weren't the first choice for the role

[Milkyway]

There have been many TV series & Films where a role was originally scripted for another actor or actress.
Makes you think, how differently they may have played the role.

For starters;
Some Mothers do ‘Ave ‘Em: Frank Spencer.
Ronnie Barker & Norman Wisdom were targeted, also with David Jason in the running too.
(But he wasn’t considered as a big enough star.. THEN).

NB:
Dads Army: Corporal Jones
Pretty certain that DJ was going to be the original choice for the role... Which Obviously went to Clive Dunn in the end.

Plus, if Jim Broadbent, had taken the ‘Del Boy’, as opposed to ‘Slater...

Edited by Milkyway on Saturday 3rd September 02:59

[Eric Mc]

They WASN'T?

[Jader1973]

Eric Mc said:

They WASN'T?

Yes, they wasn’t.

Somebody else were.

[ZedLeg]

[Milkyway]

ZedLeg said:

I ment Wuzn’t...

Edited by Milkyway on Saturday 3rd September 09:13

[Gnevans]

Wasn’t wasn’t the first choice for this thread, were it?

[Donbot]

Drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket.

[ajprice]

Will Smith as Neo in The Matrix. He did Wild Wild West instead. So then they went to Keanu Reeves.

[2 GKC]

Tim Dalton for his two bond movies, both of which I rather like

[ReallyReallyGood]

Michael J Fox as Marty McFly is a well known one. Originally was Eric Stolz I think.

[jet_noise]

IIRC Frank Sinatra was 1st (or at least a higher) choice for Dirty Harry. Lucky, lucky Clint

[Riley Blue]

Richard Todd were Ian Fleming's first choice to play James Bond.

[Dr Jekyll]

Frank Sinatra was (apparently) offered the John McClane role in Die Hard. The story goes that the book Die Hard was based on was a a sequel, so the film was technically a sequel to the film of that book, which starred Frank. So Frank had contractually to be offered the part in Die Hard.

[Brooksay]

Sylvester Stallone as Axel Foley..


ETA, Warren Beatty was supposed to have been Bill from Kill Bill, iirc.

[P5BNij]

Tom Selleck was offered the Indiana Jones role before Harrison Ford took it on.

[HTP99]

ReallyReallyGood said:

Michael J Fox as Marty McFly is a well known one. Originally was Eric Stolz I think.

Yes, filming had even started with Eric Stoltz, the scenes are out there somewhere, I think it was just a case of "it just didn't feel right".

[Lynchie999]

HTP99 said:

ReallyReallyGood said:

Michael J Fox as Marty McFly is a well known one. Originally was Eric Stolz I think.

Yes, filming had even started with Eric Stoltz, the scenes are out there somewhere, I think it was just a case of "it just didn't feel right".

... watch "Films that made Us" on Netflix... the BTTF one... its all covered!

[Punctilio]

The role of Lewis in Deliverance was turned down by Donald Sutherland and Charlton Heston, the director Boorman initially pushed for Brando in the role.

Reynolds was a good choice though, it turned his career around.

Screenwriter James Dickey was an utter pest during the production, pissed most of the time,
even punching Boorman's front teeth out during one spat.

[Vickers_VC10]

2 GKC said:

Tim Dalton for his two bond movies, both of which I rather like

+1 for my own reasons not to mention he played bond true to the books and Bond. A case of right actor wrong time. License to kill is a great film and unlike most 007 films in that there is a fair bit of non fluffy violence

[Sway]

Stuart Townsend was supposed to be Aragorn in Lord of the Rings, but a few days into filming Peter Jackson realised it needed to be an older actor - step forward Viggo Mortensen.

He missed months of sword training, so apparently really threw himself into it and is now considered a genuinely very talented swordsman.