I don’t recall this thread being done before, so here goes.
Name the people who you think had no business playing the roll they did in a movie. You get extra points if you can name the person that in your opinion would have been the best choice for the roll.
My first vote goes for Denise Richards as <cough> Dr. Christmas Jones in The World Is Not Enough. I mean do you really think that they expected us to believe that Denise Richards would be believable as some nuclear scientist?
Some to replace her? Well, they would have to be beautiful (Bond Girl) but can at least look damn intelligent. Maybe Vanessa Williams? She looked pretty good as a scientist in Eraser. Maybe Natasha Hendsrisdge? (sp)
Well, there’s the classic, John Wayne as Genghis Khan. I haven’t seen it, but wow. That’s what name recognition will do for ya in the movies, I guess.
As for who’d be better? How about, any asian actor, ever? Even some asian actresses?
I think not having James Earl Jones play Darth Vader was a huge mistake. I mean, can you imagine the look on Luke’s face when he takes the helmet off and Darth’s black? He’d be thinking, “hmmm… maybe he isn’t my father, after all…”
OK, this should be controversial. I like Audrey Hepburn, but I think she was totally wrong for Holly Golightly in “B’fast at Tiffany’s.” She was too smart and sweet and good-girly, and was not believeable in the role. Truman Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe for the part, and I think she would have been much better.
And Bette Midler as Jacqueline Susann? Well, THAT movie died the death it deserved. Debi Mazar would have been good, but she’s not a big enough name . . .
I thought Mary Astor was terrible in The Maltese Falcon. Maybe that’s less an example of miscasting than of simply casting a poor actress for the type required.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – just about everyone in Man of la Mancha. What were they thinking?! Peter O’Toole as Cervantes/Alonso Quijana/ Don Quixote? The man can’t sing!! Howard Kiel wasn’t available? The man originated the role. Who cares if his name isn’t as familiar as O’Toole’s? Sophia Loren as Aldonza/Dulcinea? She’s gorgeous and sexy (still!), but she can’t sing, either. Should’ve gotten Joan Diener. James Coco as servant/Sancho Panza? He sings too well!
And while we’re at it, The Wiz was hopelessly miscast. Again, what was wrong with the original stars?
Brian Donleavy in the first two Professor Quatermass movies (** The Quatermass Xperiment/The Creeping Unknown** and Quatermass 2/Enemy from Space) Fine, well-written British SF shouldn’t have someone who sounds like an American gangster playing the part of a British professor.
BTW, I liked Pidgeon as Dr. Morbius. I never heard that he disliked the role, or felt it was “phoned in”. Whence this intelligence?
I still liked Morbius. At the very least, it’s nowhere hear as bad ad Harrison Ford’s voice-over for Bladerunner (which, I’m told *was * done under protest.0
I think that movie would have been better if Richards and Sophie Marceau had switched roles. I could definitely buy Denise as a spoiled heiress (not too different from her Wild Things role, after all) and I think Sophie could pull off the nuclear scientist role.
Joaquin Phoenix as the priest in “Quills”. Too whiny. (he’s REALLY good in “The Yards” however.)
Sophia Copola in “Godfather 3”. Nuff said.
Bill Murray in “The Razor’s Edge” Bill Murray, serious actor. Decent effort, didn’t work.
Matthew McConehey (spelling?) as the President’s Spiritual Advisor in “Contact”. Pretty boy Matthew as the President’s “spirtual advisor”. Yeah, right. Have another doober, Matt.
Bill Pullman as the President in “Independence Day” The worlds most unexciting politician.
Bruce Willis in “Breakfast of Champions”. Actually, this whole movie was miscast. It should have been cast . . into the ocean.
Keanu Reeves in “Dangerous Liasions”. Can you say “How art thou, dude?” (I’m still trying to decide whether he was miscast as the bad guy in “The Gift”. I enjoyed him in it but I think it was the novelty of him playing a badass)
By the way I disagree with John Denver in “Oh God”. I thought he brought a “gee whiz” eyes wide open character to the movie that worked real well, but again, JMO.
Corin Nemec as Harold Lauder in Stephen King’s “The Stand”.
We are expected to believe that Nemec (AKA Corky), who was the coolest guy in the world on “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose” is Harold Lauder??? Harold is supposed to be a gross, yukky, unlikable person. I think Dan Schneider, who played Ricky in “Better Off Dead” would’ve been a much better choice.
Not that he’s yukky or anything. I just think he’d play the part better.
George C. Scott in “Firestarter”. I remember it mainly because it’s the first time I ever really noticed horrible miscasting in a film. The character in the book was some badass elite ultra-special forces killing machine–which description really did not sit well with a fellow who looked like he would have an asthmatic attack by standing up.
Absolute agreement on Denise Richards playing anyone with even an ounce of brain cells. Just doesn’t work. I could accept her as a starship pilot in “Starship Troopers” only because of the tactics all the ships displayed–i.e., massing very tightly together to ease the task of shooting them all. That made it easy to suspend disbelief–any military organization with tactics like that, of course they’d slap Denise into a helmsman position.
Hmm. I actually had it in mind to mention Jamie Sheridan as Randall Flagg in the same miniseries. My brother and I were actually discussing this the other day - and I forget who it was we decided would be better. But I agree with you about Harold, at any rate.