10 Movie Roles Originally Intended For Other Actors

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.