20 Things You Didn't Know About The Thing

20. Jeff Bridges & Nick Nolte Turned Down The Role Of MacReady

Impossible though it seems to imagine anyone else but Kurt Russell playing the part of protagonist R.J. MacReady, the role was actually offered to two other name actors before it came his way.

Nick Nolte and Jeff Bridges were both given the opportunity to play MacReady but ended up turning it down for undisclosed reasons, while Kevin Kline was also briefly suggested by the studio, who felt the film needed greater star power.

Curiously, screenwriter Bill Lancaster actually wrote MacReady with the likes of Harrison Ford and Clint Eastwood in mind, though it isn't public knowledge whether they were ever approached to appear.

Either way, Russell was clearly low down on a sizable list of lead actors, no matter his existing working relationship with Carpenter.