I am thrilled to present movie watching machine Rob of Movie Rob on my blog today, who had a lovely idea for his list, and there are many on here that I think you will all be able to agree with! If you do not already follow Rob’s blog, I would highly recommend it. Rob also runs an awesome feature called Genre Grandeur every month, in which you submit your favourite film in the given genre that has been selected, join it, it is a lot of fun!
Should you be interested in submitting a Top Ten list, draw up a list of either your top ten personal favourite movies or a top ten list by a specific genre/theme and send it along to me at sporadiczoe@hotmail.com. Hope to see a few more lists!
When choosing a cast for a movie, many directors and producers have certain actors in mind for particular roles and sometimes they are correct on their first thoughts and sometimes, they aren’t.
Here is a list of 10 casting decisions that we are quite grateful for. If the original choice hadn’t turned down these iconic roles (or in one particular case, been fired after they filmed for 5 weeks (#8), our view of EVERY one of these iconic roles and the movies they appear in would be seen much differently by the entire world.
10. Mick Jagger – Irwin Fletcher in Fletch (1985)
9. Gwyneth Paltrow – Rose DeWitt Bukater in Titanic (1997)
8. Eric Stoltz – Marty McFly in Back to the Future (1985)
7. Daryl Hannah – Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman (1990)
6. John Travolta – Forrest Gump in Forrest Gump (1994)
5. Michelle Pfieffer – Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs (1991)
4. Sylvester Stallone – Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
3. Tom Selleck – Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
2. Richard Gere – John McClane in Die Hard (1988)
1. Gene Hackman – Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Thank you so much for submitting this list Rob! One casting choice I am thrilled did not realise itself was Stuart Townsend almost being Aragorn instead of Viggo Mortensen!
LikeLike
Thanks Zoe for all the praise. This was lots of fun to do. Yeah, I knew about that one too, but I cant even think of what Townsend looks like, so I think the rest here are more high profile people
LikeLike
Anytime Rob, really appreciate your participation! Did you ever watch Queen of the Damned? Meh. Imagine that awful Lestat walking around as an awful Aragorn! 😛 I would have died!
LikeLike
I’m not a masochist like our dear friend Eric 🙂
LikeLike
True that!
LikeLike
nope and I dont really have plans to 🙂
LikeLike
Better off that way!
LikeLike
Wow. This is one of the best uses of a Top Ten format ever. Very well done Rob, what a great list. I would honest to god be intrigued by a Gene Hackman version of Hannibal Lecter. But all the others — particularly John Travolta for Forrest Gump — !!!! Haha. Can you imagine?
LikeLike
Thanks Tom,
As we’ve seen, NOBODY can do Lecter as well as Hopkins. He set the bar waaay too high for anyone else (even Madds)
Yeah, I think Travolta as Gump woulda been horrendous 😦
LikeLike
Some of these I didn’t know about. I totally couldn’t see Richard Gere as a Die Hard action star!
LikeLike
Thanks SDQ,
Just think that Willis did so well with the role because he can mix action and humor quite well. Gere wouldn’t have been able to pull that off. Imagine him saying Yippe Kayee 🙂
LikeLike
Ha ha. True. Although I wasn’t impressed with his comedy in those Sky TV ads…
LikeLike
don’t live in the UK so I don’t get Sky, so I have no clue as to what you’re referring to 🙂
LikeLike
Ha ha, basically a load of Hollywood actors do these awful ads, assuming no one will see them, but they all act badly in the. Al Pacino, Jennifer Aniston…this is the Bruce one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urb5zHX-G_c
LikeLike
cant say that it was sooo bad, but It’s not great either 🙂
LikeLike
Great list Rob. I wasn’t aware of some of these, particularly, Travolta in Forrest Gump.
LikeLike
glad to enlighten you Mark!
LikeLike
Great idea and list Rob! I couldn’t imagine Travolta as Gump, ugh that would have been terrible, as for Die Hard without Willis :O Great post 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks Liam.
appreciate it
LikeLike
This is great. I thought I would come here and be able to defend one of those replaced by saying that the film would not have been so bad without a change. But nope. God, Travolta in Forrest Gump would have been so hideous.
LikeLike
sorry to disappoint you Tim 🙂
LikeLike
It’s hard to disagree with any of these. Mick Jagger as Fletch?! WTF?!!!!
LikeLike
seriously. That was the authors first choice to play him
LikeLike
MICK JAGGER????
PUKE!!!!!!!!
LikeLike
I hope you mean that as an actor and not a musician… 😉
LikeLike
OF COURSE!! Could you imagine him as Fletch??
That would be like casting me as Spock.
LikeLike
LOL oki cool, that’s much better!
And WHY couldn’t you be Spock?! 😛
LikeLike
DO YOU THINK I COULD BE SPOCK?????????????
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG I WOULD JUST DIE
LikeLike
There’s NOTHING wrong with Spock!!!! LOVE HIM!!!!
#ofcourse
#awesome
LikeLike
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!!
#finally
#yes
LikeLike
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!
LikeLike
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP INDEED!!!!!!!!!
#dreamscometrue
LikeLike
I deem thee Spock Chop!
LikeLike
I. LOVE. IT.
LikeLike
YAY!
#success
LikeLike
you r pretty logical my friend, so maybe u would be a great spock!
LikeLike
I’ve wanted to be Spock my whole life!
LikeLike
live long and prosper
LikeLike
Phenomenal list! I still would love to see Travolta and Pfieffer, very intriguing :):
LikeLike
Thanks Joseph.
as intriguing as they may sound, I dont think either woulda been better than Hanks or Foster in those roles
LikeLike
Sly Stallone? Richard Gere? Oh my gosh, no thanks! Those were the two that stood out as the worst possible ideas. Fun stuff.
LikeLike
yep. I agree on that Keith. Neither of those movies would have been any good if that had happened
LikeLike
The worst on this list would be Travolta as Forest Gump; can just image Forest talking like Vincent. “Man, I used to run fast as shit when I was a kid.” lol.
Some of these casts actually wouldn’t be so bad; I could see Hackman playing Hanibal or Michelle Pfeiffer playing Clarice. Eric Stoltz would have been fine as Marty. MJ Fox was great in the role, but I’m sure Stoltz would have been about as good. I can’t imagine anyone playing Fletch other than Chevy. 🙂
And let’s not forget Will Smith turning down “Neo” in The Matrix. Will Smith said was his biggest regret of his career. lol.
LikeLike
very funny Gary abt Travolta as Vincent Gump.
They actually filmed for a few weeks with Stoltz as McFly and he was too serious so Zemekis and Spielberg made the change.
You can do a search on line for pics from scenes he shot and they dont look as fun as the ones with Fox.
Yep, Smith as Neo was also one I contemplated adding, but he actually might have been good there and these were for ones that wouldn’t have been 🙂
LikeLike
Oh okay, I see what you’re saying. But I do think Hackman could have rocked the Hanibal role. 🙂
Looks like the producers and director made a good call switching Eric Stoltz out then; he’s a good actor though, but sometimes one is just better in certain roles. I always thought Stoltz was good in “Some Kind of Wonderful”.
LikeLike
PS:
Another clip from Vincent Gump:
PRESIDENT: How’s it feel to be an All-American?
GUMP: Man, I gotta piss like a motherfucker.
LikeLike
gotta disagree with you on that one Gary, Dont think Hackman would’ve come close to what Hopkins did.
Loved Stoltz in Some Kind of Wonderful and also in Mask. he was also great in Memphis Belle.
Someone should make Vincent Gump, it’ll be hilarious 🙂
LikeLike
Nice list… although I would love to have seen the Eric Stoltz Back To The Future… or even Daryl Hannah’s Pretty Woman….
LikeLike
Thanks Craig – They actually filmed for a few weeks with Stoltz as McFly and he was too serious so Zemekis and Spielberg made the change.
You can do a search on line for pics from scenes he shot and they dont look as fun as the ones with Fox.
LikeLike
Fun list, Rob. Lot’s I didn’t know. I can’t imagine Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones or Stallone as Axel Foley.
LikeLike
Thanks Cindy,
Glad I could enlighten you 🙂
yep, doubt many can 🙂
LikeLike
Very cool list! Love it Rob! I didn’t know any of these tidbits before reading this.
LikeLike
Thanks melissa,
Glad to enlighten you 🙂
LikeLike
Jesus Christ, John Travolta as Forrest Gump??
LikeLike
Stupid is, is stupid does 🙂
LikeLike
I have seen the footage from when Eric Stoltz was doing BTTF. And boy did they make the right decision to change him out for someone with talent. If they had not gone with Michael J. Fox it would never have been a huge franchise.
LikeLike
yea, I saw it too, he was pretty bland there. I’m also very glad they switched it to MJF.
LikeLike
These are crazy!! Gene Hackman as Hannibal Lecter?! Nope. No way. Excellent list, Rob!
LikeLike
Thanks Cara,
Nobody can be as creepy and drawing as Lecter as Hopkins was (not even your fav Mags) 🙂
LikeLike
I mean, they’re really two very different kinds of performances. It’s hard to compare Hopkins and Mads. Have you seen Hannibal though? Don’t knock it until you’ve seen it!
LikeLike
nope, havent seen it yet. I’ve heard it too gory for my taste (pun intended) 🙂
LikeLike
Ha! I see what you did there. It is somewhat graphic, but also really, really well-done. You could at least try an episode…just sayin’. 😉
LikeLike
for you (and b/c u asked nicely,) I’ll watch the pilot episode. But if I have nightmares, I know who to blame
BTW, how’s your Genre Grandeur review coming along?
LikeLike
Yaaayyy! Can’t wait to see what you think! And I’m still trying to decide!!! Lol. When do you want them by again?
LikeLike
Budy watching my latest milestone marathon so I probably wont get to it before friday at the earliest. Ideally by the 20th but the sooner the better. Zoe is my bedt customer. Everyone else just dont realize how much fun it is 😦
LikeLike
They’re missing out!! I will try to get you something this weekend. 🙂
LikeLike
Yea. Not my cup o tea. Cant say I didnt try
LikeLike
Bummer! Well, I won’t give you anymore grief about it then. Even though I think you’re crazy. 😉
LikeLike
looking forward!
LikeLike
…says the woman who loves a show about cannibalism 🙂
LikeLike
Hackman as Lecter. Hmmmm, maybe not.
LikeLike
yeah, I dont think so.
Thanks
LikeLike
Reblogged this on MovieRob and commented:
The amazing Zoe, let me join in on her top 10 fun. Check out my post for it. Thanks Zoe!
LikeLike
Gre
LikeLike
Oops. I hate the WordPress app. Great list, Rob! Every one of these other than Michelle Pfeiffer would have sucked!!! Especially Gwyneth Paltrow – yuck. But that’s just in general. ; )
LikeLike
u think Pfieffer woulda been a better Clarice?? I think Foster was able to play the young innocent recruit in a way that she never woulda been able to do.
Thanks Mutant!
LikeLike
You would have lost the only reason to watch Titanic – Winslet’s boobs
LikeLike
Enlightening list Rob! Was only aware of the Selleck-Raiders one. Can’t imagine John Travolta as Forrest Gump, that’d be something…
Adam.
LikeLike
yes it would be, but it wouldn’t have been as iconic as Hanks was.
Thanks for commenting Adam!
LikeLike
Nice list Rob.
Did you know Jeremy Sisto was originally cast instead of Leo in ‘Titanic’
I can imagine Michelle Pfieffer doing ‘Silence of the Lambs’
LikeLike
I actually didnt know that. I knew they wanted Matthew McConaughey for the part tho.
still cant see her as Clarice no matter how hard I try.
Thanks for commenting Nuwansenfilmsen!
LikeLike