Situations where a stage actor doesn’t reprise a role on screen and it works out better for their career

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/14/25 at 10:11pm

Thinking about Cynthia Erivo and Mike Faist, who were (by some accounts) in talks for the respective film adaptations of COLOR PURPLE and DEAR EVAN HANSEN. Instead, they ended up doing other projects: WICKED and WEST SIDE STORY.

Faist’s career skyrockets after WSS in a way that it definitely wouldn’t have even if he was the best part of an awful DEH movie. WSS didn't make a ton of money but it was Spielberg and an Oscar player. There would be no straight line to CHALLENGERS from DEAR EVAN HANSEN.

Erivo might have received an Oscar nom for playing Celie on screen, but that movie isn’t great and it still wouldn’t have made money at the box office. Instead she got to be in a generational hit, WICKED, which is going to be a transformational career moment for her.

I don't really view Julie Andrews in this category: her career probably still ends up great if she does FAIR LADY over POPPINS. But who knows...

Who else?

Updated On: 3/14/25 at 10:11 PM

[The Other One]

Posted: 3/14/25 at 10:37pm

I don't know if Faist's case really applies, although he has been a bright light indeed in Pinball and Challengers.  West Side Story was filmed in the summer of 2019.  It was supposed to be released in 2020 but was put on hold for a year by Covid.  He could probably have filmed Dear Evan Hansen if Chbosky had wanted him.  

Updated On: 3/14/25 at 10:37 PM

[ijest22]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 1:23am

The Other One said: "I don't know if Faist's case really applies, although he has been a bright light indeed in Pinball and Challengers. West Side Story was filmed in the summer of 2019. It was supposed to be released in 2020 but was put on hold for a year by Covid. He could probably have filmed Dear Evan Hansen if Chbosky had wanted him."

Supposedly he was offered the movie and turned it down