20 Things You Didn't Know About Psycho
4. Eva Marie Saint, Angie Dickinson, Piper Laurie & More Were Considered For Marion Crane
Unsurprisingly, a large number of rising actresses were considered for the part of Marion Crane at one point or another, including Eva Marie Saint, Lee Remick, Angie Dickinson, Piper Laurie, Martha Hyer, Hope Lange, Shirley Jones, and Lana Turner.
Ultimately, though, Leigh was Hitchcock's first choice for the part, and she accepted only after reading the source novel and making no inquiries at all about her salary.
Ultimately, in order to work with Hitchcock she agreed to be paid "only" $25,000 - a fraction her usual $100,000 fee for an equivalent-sized role.
As much as many of these actresses could've knocked the Marion role out of the park, 60 years on it's impossible to imagine anyone but Janet Leigh in that shower.