Roles they DIDN'T get....- Page 2

[Overkill]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 2:26am

Just thought of a couple more. lol

Hilary Duff was offered The Wedding Singer as a replacement for Laura Benanti when she was missing a lot.

Rosie was offered Madame Thenadier in Les Miz, back in '06 during her run on The View.

Conan O'Brien was offered Harold Hill in The Music Man, but couldn't due to his late hours on his show.

Glenn Close and Meryl Streep both auditioned for Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd.

Nathan Lane was offered Tevye in the Fiddler on the Roof revival, but turned it down in fear of forever being seen as following in Zero Mostel's shadow.

[evadiva]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 3:04am

What a treat these stories are - thank you!

[madbrian]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 6:30am

On film, I've read that Eric Stoltz had 'this clos' to getting every role back in the 80s, from Marty McFly in the Back To The Future series to Teen Wolf.

[jamiekennywicked]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 7:26am

Great thread
It's not Bway but Jodie Prenger (winner of I'd Do Anything and played Nancy in Oliver!) I believe got to the final stages of Tracey auditions for Hairspray in London but the production was postponed.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 8:16am

Ted Neeley keeps on telling this story (perhaps as a hint to casting directors who only picture him in a white robe with open arms) of how he didn't even want to touch Jesus with a ten foot pole. He originally auditioned for the part of Judas in JCS, only to be told by Tom O'Horgan to "come back tomorrow and sing the other guy." And (he says) he's been playing the other guy ever since.

(While I'm not at liberty to share exact details, he has in fact recently been offered the opportunity to play both Judas and Jesus in JCS in a double cast repertory type situation, a unique experience for JCS and Ted fans, to play NY or LA. No word yet on further details.)

Updated On: 11/7/10 at 08:16 AM

[chrissydee]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 8:32am

Movies:

Toni Collette was (apparently!) offered Roxie in the Chicago movie, and Kathy Bates was first choice for Mama Morton. Apparently John Travolta was offered Billy Flynn too. And, as an interesting fact, apparently Babara Streisand was offered the film to direct.

Nicole Kidman was Ulla in the Producers film- but dropped out.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 9:50am

Doris Day desperately wanted Annie Oakley in the film version, but didn't get it.

Also, Judy Garland was supposedly signed to do one of Mary Martin's vacations in South Pacific, but chickened out. (Not sure how much truth there is to it)

Jenna Elfman was supposed to replace Jane Krakowski, and made it as far as dress rehearsals when they decided she couldn't sing it.

Elizabeth Seal was cast as Cassie in Chorus Line in London, but Bennett (who I believe had just married Donna) decided that she wasn't working, so Donna went in and replaced her until Petra Siniwaski was ready to go in. (I'm not sure if she was there during previews and the first few weeks, or if it was a few performances.)

[maxximumvolume]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 10:28am

madbrian, Eric Stoltz actually filmed for 5 weeks on Back to the Future before the director and producers decided that his take was just too dark and the antithesis of the tone they wanted for the film. So they were able to convince the studio to recast, and the rest is Michael J. Fox history.

Here is some footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wudNasQbv0

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 10:55am

Was Toni Collette actually offered Roxy? Or did she just audition?
Speaking of CHICAGO, the choice for Mary Sunshine came down to Christine Baranski and Kristin Chenoweth (who I beieve also auditioned for Roxy, but they were gonna cast that role with a star)...obviously Baranski got the part.
Nicole Kidman also got offered Roxy but turned it down to do MOULIN ROUGE. Both Catherine Z. Jones and Renee Zellweger auditioned for that movie, but Kidman got the part. Interestingly enough, Zellweger was pretty crushed when she put herself through the audition process (which obviously included singing and dancing) for that movie and didn't get the part, this almost kept her from meeting with Rob Marshall about CHICAGO. On the other hand, Jones was allegedly given the choice to play either Velma or Roxy.
Charlize Theron was attached to play Roxy when Nicholas Hytner was attached to direct the film, when he dropped out, Marshall had her audition for him but chose to go with Zellweger instead.
Meryl Streep got offered SWEENEY TODD but turned it down, at the time she claimed "scheduling conflicts," but there were rumors back then that she had already been approached by Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks about MAMMA MIA and so she had a different movie musical to do in time.
Streep was also cast as the title role in EVITA when Oliver Stone was set to direct the film, but that project never took off.
Donna Murphy and Catherine Z. Jones both turned down the chance to appear in the ANYTHING GOES revival directed by Kathleen Marshall, Murphy didn't want to be in a revival and Jones felt the role wasn't right for her to make her Broadway debut at the time.

[MadonnaMusical]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 10:57am

Cyndi Lauper was also very much considered for Sweeney Todd, but once Johnny Depp was set as Sweeney, Helena became pretty set too.

[Brick]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 11:08am

Cyndi Lauper auditioned for the SWEENY 2005 revival, and really impressed the creatives, including Sondheim. But he told her Patti had already been offered the part, and on her birthday no less.

The CHICAGO film over the 27 years had everyone in it! Liza and Goldi Hawn wanted to do it, with Fosse directing, but he didn't want to. He had a change of heart after the flop of "Star 80". He had a meeting with Kander and Ebb for the Friday after the Tuesday he died. He had already met, though, with Madonna for Roxie. After "Evita", Madonna was attached to "Chicago" again, as Velma, and opposite Goldie Hawn's Roxie and Rosie O'Donnell's Mama Morton. There was no director attached. Rosie dropped out, Pam Grier replaced her. Nicholas Hynter came onboard as director and fired Goldie for being too old. Madonna balked and left, causing the whole project to fall apart before Rob Marshall met with Harvey Weinstein a couple years later.

Vanessa Williams (also considered for the CHICAGO film) was originally attached to LaChuisa's THE WILD PARTY, having been in the first workshop. She dropped out due to pregnancy as Tony Collette was found.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 12:36pm

Got the old "It's just not working out" speech:

Lisa Kudrow as Daphne on FRASIER.
Michael Keaton in THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO.
Harvey Keitel in THE SUNSHINE BOYS and again four years later in APOCALYPSE NOW.
Martha Plimpton in some Woody Allen play at the Atlantic.
Sigourney Weaver in Nicol Williamson's early eighties production of MACBETH.
Laura Benanti in THE VIOLET HOUR.

Updated On: 11/7/10 at 12:36 PM

[strummergirl]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 12:39pm

Russell Crowe along with Meryl Streep were attached to the movie adaptation of Sweeney Todd when Sam Mendes was set to direct.

[chrissydee]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 12:41pm

Bette Midler turned down Sister Act on film, causing it to go to Whoopi!

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 1:01pm

Jumping to Whoopi: JUMPIN' JACK FLASH was supposed to go to Shelley Long, BURGLAR was conceived for Bruce Willis, and FATAL BEAUTY was created for Cher.

As for Cher, she recently said she turned down THELMA AND LOUISE to her regret and John Patrick Shanley apparently wrote MOONSTRUCK on spec for Sally Field (!!).

Sandra Bernhard also turned down the Annie Potts role in GHOSTBUSTERS.

[Jon]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 1:38pm

Greatest movie musical that was never made:

In 1975, when Harold Prince's revival of CANDIDE was a hit on Broadway, A movie version was announced with the following cast:

Peter Sellers as Voltaire/Pangloss
Elton John as Candide
Olivia Newton-John (pre-Grease) as Cunegonde.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 1:49pm

Jon, truly?

By the way, the Phantom original was Steve Harley, not Hartley.

There are several names that were up for Andrew lloyd Webber's new Wizard of Oz as the Wizard, including UK TV comedy legends Bruce Forsyth and Ronnie Corbett.

[AC126748]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 1:50pm

Cloris Leachman did early readings, but Mel Brooks chose to cast Andrea Martin instead, citing Cloris was too old to handle an 8 show a week scheduel, but after her Dancing With the Stars stint, he changed his mind and cast her as a replacement, but the show closed before she was able to step in.

I thought that the "official narrative" there was that Brooks wanted to distinguish the stage play from the movie, which would have been impossible if Leachman was playing the same role that she originally played on screen.

Madonna as Maggie in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF is interesting to think about. Frances O'Connor, who eventually played the role, was absolutely brilliant--as was Fraser. I was always surprised that they weren't asked to reprise their roles on Broadway.

Martha Plimpton left Woody Allen's A SECOND HAND MEMORY of her own free will, in order to do a movie. Elizabeth Marvel replaced her. The actress who was fired from a Woody Allen play at the Atlantic was Annabelle Gurwich, who used the incident as a catalyst for her book and documentary FIRED!

[JOak]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 1:53pm

Kaye Ballard was up for Mame.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 1:54pm

"Lisa Kudrow as Daphne on FRASIER."

I thought Kudrow was cast as Roz (Peri Gilpin's character) but was replaced even before the pilot was shot. Either way, though, she still got booted from the show.

[AC126748]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 1:58pm

You are correct. She was up for Roz. I don't know if she was actually cast or not, but that was the role for which she was under consideration.

[sorano916]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 2:39pm

John Gallagher Jr. was asked to audition for WICKED but turned it down because he didn't think he could do musicals.

He also auditioned for the role of Robert Ford in the film "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" which ultimately went to Casey Affleck who got an Oscar nomination for it.

[AC126748]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 2:50pm

Who would Gallagher have played in WICKED? Boq? I truly can't see him as Fiyero.

[jdtp12]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 2:54pm

I'm not exactly sure if this counts, but I've heard Elaine Paige's only regret in doing Chess was not being able to be in Les Miserables. So I'm not sure if that means she was offered a role or if she just really wanted to do it..

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/7/10 at 3:07pm

Antonio Banderas and Javier Bardem were up for Guido Contini in the NINE flop (*cough*) film...Banderas was turned down and Bardem said No...good call on both counts.