20 Mind-Blowing Facts You Didn’t Know About Groundhog Day

15. Tom Hanks Was Almost Phil Connors

Rubin admitted that he had never considered Bill Murray for Phil Connors when writing the script, and thought it more suited to a more serious actor who could do comedy:

"I suggested Tom Hanks and they actually asked him, but he declined. He later told Harold that he was right to turn it down because he wouldn't have worked in the part. He said everybody knows that he's a nice guy, so if he started out as nasty everybody would anticipate his transformation. With Bill you have no idea what he's going to do."

So counter to popular belief, it was Hanks who actually turned the role down; something he has in common with Michael Keaton, who also passed. Meanwhile Harold Ramis also considered Chevy Chase, Steve Martin and John Travolta for the role of Phil Connors, but he considered them as "far too nice" compared to Bill Murray. Clearly, he hadn't spent enough time with Chase.