10 Movie Roles Originally Intended For Other Actors
Not every role was picked up by the actor the producers had in mind...
When you think of a famous actor or actress, odds are, you think back to a specific role. It's those roles that make them famous, and every actor has that one part they played everyone remembers. For Michael J. Fox, it was Marty McFly, but he wasn't originally cast in that role.
Most folks already know that Michael J. Fox's famous role from the Back to the Future trilogy originally went to Eric Stoltz. After some of the footage was shot, it was determined that Stoltz wasn't right for the part, and Fox was brought on.
As it happens, there are tons of stories like that all over Hollywood. While most roles that are recast at one point or another in development don't make that much of an impact, every once in a while, a role is recast to an actor or actress that results in an iconic performance.
Those stories are few and far between, but they often revolve around folks who are incredibly famous today. While these 10 roles aren't the only ones these actors and actresses played, they are some of the most iconic performances in film history, which certainly sets them apart.
10. Bruce Willis - Sam Wheat In Ghost
By the time Ghost went into development, Patrick Swayze already had a well-established career. He was already known for his roles in Dirty Dancing, Roadhouse, and Red Dawn, and while those roles were certainly iconic, his best performance and most memorable role was arguably Sam Wheat in Ghost.
While the role appeared to have been written specifically for Swayze, the people responsible for casting had another star in mind. Originally, the role of Sam was offered to none other than Bruce Willis.
At the time, Willis was married to Demi Moore, which means he would have starred in the movie opposite his real-life spouse. While that would have made the on-screen chemistry all the more real, it wasn't something Willis had a lot of interest in as he didn't want to play a character who was dead for the majority of the film.
Willis wasn't the only star considered for the role prior to Swayze; there were a number of Hollywood's hottest stars considered as well. Alec Baldwin, Kevin Bacon, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, and Paul Hogan were all tossed around as possible contenders for the part. Ultimately, it went to Swayze, and his performance in the role was probably his best work throughout his long career.