20 Things You Didn't Know About The Rocky Horror Picture Show

5. Elvis Presley Was Fox's First Choice For Eddie

The Rocky Horror Picture Show Tim Curry
RCA Records/PA Archive

According to none other than Meat Loaf himself, Fox's original choice to play Eddie was Elvis freaking Presley. Meat Loaf, who played Eddie on stage prior to the movie's release, even recalled meeting the "The King" when he came to see the stage show:

"He came to see Rocky Horror and everyone else who had played Eddie over in England had tried to do an Elvis impersonation. That's what they said to me when we started doing it out in L.A., but I looked at them and go, 'Why would you want an Elvis impersonation? Why wouldn't you want Eddie to be his own human being?'
They go, 'Well, okay,' and that's what Elvis talked to me about. He goes, 'Well, I hear everyone wants to do an Elvis impersonation but you didn’t.' The one thing I did say to him was, 'No, because there's only one you and only one me.' That's all I said to him."

As incredible as it would've been to see Elvis in this movie, it's also tough to argue with Meat Loaf's indelible performance as Eddie.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.