25 Things You Didn’t Know About Se7en
14. Neither Were Freeman And Paltrow
The other two central roles in the film were also cast using second choice candidates.
Walker first envisaged William Somerset being played by William Hurt, but the role was first offered to Al Pacino, who declined due to conflicts over the shooting schedule of City Hall. Gene Hackman turned the part down because of the number of night shoots required, and reports are that Robert Duvall and Harrison Ford were also offered the part but declined.
Fincher had been incredibly impressed by Gwyneth Paltrow’s performance in the 1993 neo noir drama Flesh & Bone, and given that she was Pitt’s girlfriend at the time, she was his first choice for the role of Tracy Mills, as chemistry between the Mills’ would be vital to give the planned finale the impact it needed.
Unfortunately, Paltrow turned down the role when she was first offered it, and Fincher had to recast, offering the part to Christina Applegate. Applegate then turned the part down too - which left them back at square one.
In frustration, Fincher asked his lead to go to bat for him, and Pitt (who by now probably deserved a producer credit, or at the very least a pint) persuaded Paltrow to meet the director, which ended up changing her mind and sealing the deal.