4. Popeye Dole as Lecter?
Jodie Foster loved the novel so much, that after reading it she tried to buy the movie rights herself, but discovered that another actor had beat her to the post Gene Hackman. Hackman loved the book so much that he planned to direct and star in the film as Lecter. This changed, when at the Academy Awards, where he was nominated for Best Actor for his performance in Missippi Burning, he watched clips from the film for the first time and was shocked by the violent scenes. Distraught, he decided he did not want to be involved in another violent movie on the back of that and sold the rights. Ironically, one year after Lambs, Hackman would win his second Oscar for his violent portrayal of Little Bill in Clint Eastwoods Unforgiven.