10 First Choices For Big Movie Roles (That Would Have Totally Sucked)
5. David Schwimmer As Agent J (Men In Black)
It's almost impossible to imagine anyone other than Will Smith playing the lead role in Men In Black. Along with his roles in Bad Boys and Independence Day, the part of Agent J helped turn the Fresh Prince into the most bankable actor of the 1990s and perhaps in the entire history of Hollywood. Had it not been for a deal between friends, though, it could have been a very different 1990s sitcom star wearing that suit and shades.
David Schwimmer was offered the role of Agent J at the height of his fame for playing Ross Geller in Friends. He turned it down, despite the fact the production schedule fit nicely around his sitcom commitments. Schwimmer had secured a deal with Miramax that would allow him to direct his first film - 1998 TV movie Since You've Been Gone - handing jobs to his old Chicago theatre buddies in the process. Taking Men in Black would have meant shelving his film at the last minute, putting his friends out of a job.
Agent J is such a huge part of Smith's career and perhaps the ultimate example of his unique brand of cool. The slightly dorky Schwimmer does not seem like a straight swap