Movie stunt casting that actually worked?

A good recent example of this would probably be Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder. Could have just been an indulgent "LOL! CRUISE IS DOING STUFF HE'S NEVER DONE!" but the character was actually legitimately good, which surprised me. I wasn't aware that he would be in the movie for that long either. It was an actual supporting performance and not a cameo.

Well, Hairspray wouldn't have succeeded nearly as much if it hadn't been advertised as "COME SEE JOHN TRAVOLTA IN A DRESS!"

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Not for nothing but really, is Tom Snooze a draw anymore? In anything?

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ANATOMY OF A MURDER was on TCM yesterday, and it features a bit of stunt casting that I don't think works at all: Joseph Welch as the judge. While Mr. Welch will live forever as the man who asked Joe McCarthy if he had no sense of decency left, he's just in over his head onscreen with James Stewart and George C. Scott. He tries, but an actor he ain't.

Stuntcasting that works: Tina Turner as The Acid Queen in TOMMY. She's a marvel.

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Updated On: 9/2/08 at 09:09 AM

With Besty's definition in mind, I'd like to nominate the entire onscreen career of Stan Lee, from 'Mallrats' to 'Iron Man', with everything in between, before, and yet to come!

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