# Actors who were totally miscast, all wrong for the role, and yet did a wonderful job with it.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [September 13, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600 "2010-09-13T13:37:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/41 "2010-09-14T15:04:10Z")
Andy Griffith as Lonesome Rhodes in _A Face in The Crowd_.
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### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/42 "2010-09-14T15:04:50Z")
> [@lawoot](#):
>
> How about the original _Broadway_ McMurphy, in 1963? Kirk Douglas!
With Gene Wilder as Billy Bibbitt. Yeah, that must have been a great production.
For ages, Kirk Douglas tried to get a movie version made, and couldn’t do it. After 15 years or so, his son Michael said, “Give me the rights, and let me take a crack at it.”
Michael Douglas WAS able to get the financing. He then had to tell Kirk, “Dad, I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The good news is, we’re going to make a movie of Cuckoo’s Nest. The bad news is… you’re way too old to play McMurphy.”
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### Author:  [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/43 "2010-09-14T15:08:13Z")
> [@Grumman](#):
>
> Speaking of Brokeback Mountain, who would have thought Heath Ledger could pull off the Joker?
I dunno, after that movie I could see him pulling anyone off.
:o
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### Author:  [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/44 "2010-09-14T15:15:49Z")
> [@Omi\_no\_Kami](#):
>
> For me, Summer Glau as the terminator in _Terminator: the John Connor Chronicles_.
Really? I never watched the show, but when I heard about it, my thoughts were:
1 - What a perfect casting decision.
2 - I hope Glau gets to play some characters closer to human-normal at some point in her career.
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### Author:  [@banjoDavid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/banjoDavid)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/45 "2010-09-14T15:25:12Z")
> [@lawoot](#):
>
> > [@Sam\_A.Robrin](#):
> >
> > Randle Patrick McMurphy is one of my favorite fictional characters, and my personal image of him was so strong, when Jack Nicholson portrayed him in the movie version of _One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest_, I was disappointed by his portrayal. Eventually, I came to accept that there was no one right way to play the role, and that it was a spectacular performance, but it had a lot of prior imagery to overcome before I could admit that.
>
> How about the original _Broadway_ McMurphy, in 1963? Kirk Douglas!
Steppenwolf Theatre company in Chicago did Cuckoo’s Nest maybe 7-8 years ago. Gary Sinese was BRILLIANT in it.
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### Author:  [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/46 "2010-09-14T15:27:49Z")
Christian Slater recently did Cuckoo’s Nest in London’s West End, once again standing in the shadow of Jack Nicholson’s eyebrows. Didn’t see it so can’t comment on the performance.
> [@Tom\_Scud](#):
>
> I hope Glau gets to play some characters closer to human-normal at some point in her career.
Well, she got to play herself on “The Big Bang Theory”. That’s probably the best she can hope for right now.
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### Author:  [@kbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbear)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/47 "2010-09-14T15:34:00Z")
> [@Gyrate](#):
>
> Christian Slater recently did Cuckoo’s Nest in London’s West End, once again standing in the shadow of Jack Nicholson’s eyebrows. Didn’t see it so can’t comment on the performance.
I saw it and was actually pretty impressed with his performance. Slater does a great Nicholson impression but to his credit, he didn’t fall back on it in the same role.
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/48 "2010-09-14T15:36:23Z")
Kiefer Sutherland as [William S. Burroughs](http://reckon.tumblr.com/post/88582372/fishtits-mudwerks-suyhnc-william-s) in _Beat_. ([(YouTube trailer)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCSbjqjcwZg)
This was definitely “You’re kidding, right?” casting – but he actually did a pretty good job of it.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/49 "2010-09-14T15:43:04Z")
I (and a lot of other people) thought that Jack Black was a terrible choice to play Carl Denham in Peter Jackson’s **King Kong**. But I love the way Jackson re-interpreted the character and the way Black played it.
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### Author:  [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/50 "2010-09-14T17:21:45Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#):
>
> > [@pravnik](#):
> >
> > Mark “Marky Mark” Wahlberg in pretty much everything. If you’d told me twenty years ago that the musclehead rapper who intentionally pantsed himself onstage would someday be one of my favorite actors, I would have found it difficult to believe.
>
> Nitpick: If he’s proved his mettle once, he’s hardly “miscasted” in subsequent roles.
Sure, but my larger point is that it’s pretty amazing in retrospect that he’s had not just a great one-off or a couple of successful roles, but that he’s had a very successful acting career post Funky Bunch.
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### Author:  [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/51 "2010-09-14T17:30:18Z")
Nastassja Kinski as Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Tess is supposed to be… well… zaftig. Kinski did a good job with the wounded ingenue part of the role, though.
Hugh Laurie being cast as House knocked me off-kilter badly enough that I still haven’t watched a single episode. I remember snickering along with Diana Rigg when she said that he was looking for serious dramatic roles.
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/52 "2010-09-14T17:37:36Z")
You are really missing some fine acting–not just House, but all the other actors in the show.
House is so un-Laurie that he is almost a different person.
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### Author:  [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/53 "2010-09-14T17:54:06Z")
**The Prestige** : Who’d have thought that [David Bowie](http://www.morethings.com/music/david_bowie/david-bowie-138.jpg) could play [Nikola Tesla](http://www.electronicsandyou.com/electronics-history/Nikola%20Tesla.jpg)? And yet not only did he pull it off, I didn’t even recognize him as Bowie until I saw the end credits.
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### Author:  [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/54 "2010-09-14T17:58:58Z")
> [@digs](#):
>
> > [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#):
> >
> > In my head, I always pictured John Constantine to be a lot more like Gregory House, but my mental image would not fit that film.
>
> You are correct.
>
> The film is not. Keanu played Some Guy Who Happened To Be Named John Constantine, not _THE_ John Constantine.
>
> John Constantine was originally patterned after Sting (true story) with uncombed hair and a cigarette jones… on a bad day.
>
> So, since Mr. Reeves had neither a Brit accent, blonde hair, wrinkles, or depth, he’s just _A_ John Constantine.
Reeves played John Constantine (rhymes with BEAN) - a very interesting character in a fun, exiting film. I’m still waiting for a movie about John Constantine (rhymes with WINE)
> [@CalMeacham](#):
>
> I (and a lot of other people) thought that Jack Black was a terrible choice to play Carl Denham in Peter Jackson’s **King Kong**. But I love the way Jackson re-interpreted the character and the way Black played it.
Thank you, I was afraid I was the only one.
I think physically, Oliver Reed is all wrong for Athos. He looks more like he would be suited for Porthos. He owned the role, though.
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/55 "2010-09-14T20:48:29Z")
There’s only ever been one case of good casting for a live-action Batman, and that was Adam West, who was perfect as the campy, silver age Batman. The best you can say about the others is that a few of them did a pretty good Bruce Wayne.
If you include voice actors, though, nobody owns the role more than Kevin Conroy.
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### Author:  [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/56 "2010-09-14T21:58:57Z")
All this Batman talk and nothing about Nicholson? The joker is supposed to be this younger, thin crazy dude. Jack’s an older, thicker, admittedly crazy person. But he was great.
Ed Norton as a crazed skinhead? Didn’t see it. But he pulled it off in American History X.
Tom Hanks as a dying AIDS patient? I did not imagine he had the range, but he earned his Oscar in Philadelphia.
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### Author:  [@FlyingDragonFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingDragonFan)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/57 "2010-09-14T23:27:21Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#):
>
> I hope Glau gets to play some characters closer to human-normal at some point in her career.
I know someone who was around Glau for a short spell, and to hear him tell it, human-normal might be a miscasting for her. \ He said she was every bit as spacey as River Tam. \
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### Author:  [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/58 "2010-09-14T23:59:08Z")
When my wife told me I was going to a movie with Sandra Bullock in it, I thought I had better be getting laid later for having to sit through this crap.
The Blind Side actually turned out to be a pretty good movie and I thought SB did a very good job. I never would have guessed I would like anything with her in it.
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2010, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/59 "2010-09-15T13:21:04Z")
Pretty Boy Leonardo DiCaprio as Arnie Grape? The kid is supposed to be an ugly total retard.
He got raves and the first realizations of his amazing acting ability.
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2010, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-totally-miscast-all-wrong-for-the-role-and-yet-did-a-wonderful-job-with-it/553600/60 "2010-09-15T13:53:11Z")
And who’d have thought that Gordon Jump could play a child molester one time that would be remembered thirty years later?
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