# Performers that Completely Change the Character they Played **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [November 10, 2023, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944 "2023-11-10T15:33:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2023, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/41 "2023-11-11T17:48:28Z")
O.J. Simpson certainly put his own spin on the role of Nordberg in the _Naked Gun_ movies… ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2023, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/42 "2023-11-11T18:13:18Z")
Jack, in _Lost_, was supposed to die in the pilot episode, but the show runners were impressed enough by the actor’s performance that they made him a lead character. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2023, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/43 "2023-11-11T18:15:40Z")
This isn’t a perfect fit for the OP, but the original script for Pretty Woman was much darker and grittier than the ‘urban fairytale’ it turned into, with Michelle Pfieffer and Al Pacino originally considered to play the leads. So it was more the characters changing the actors than the actors changing the characters. But it definitely would have had a different tone with Pfieffer and Pacino. > **[Pretty Woman: The movie's insane original script](https://www.en-vols.com/en/inspirations-en/culture-en/pretty-woman-original-script/#item=1)** > > While Pretty Woman is now one of the most popular romantic comedies in the world, the original script was anything but a fairytale. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2023, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/44 "2023-11-11T18:44:55Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > O.J. Simpson certainly put his own spin on the role of Nordberg in the _Naked Gun_ movies… He was kept unconscious most of the time to cover up his less than impressive acting skills. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2023, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/45 "2023-11-11T18:48:12Z")
Over the course of _ **M-A-S-H** _\*, Gary Burghoff changed the character of “Radar" O’Reilly from a worldly, somewhat sneaky character who is fond of practical jokes and stealing the CO’s liquor to a naive, innocent teetotaler who sleeps with his teddy bear. \*Which apparently in Discourse is impossible to properly include the asterisks between the letters, because it interprets them as formatting marks. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2023, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/46 "2023-11-11T18:48:43Z")
> [@solost](#): > > So it was more the characters changing the actors than the actors changing the characters. But it definitely would have had a different tone with Pfieffer and Pacino. Like _ **Scarface** _? ---
**Author:** ![abcdefghij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/43a26b/32.png) [@abcdefghij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abcdefghij)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2023, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/47 "2023-11-11T18:59:10Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Which apparently in Discourse is impossible to properly include the asterisks between the letters, because it interprets them as formatting marks. ` ***M\*A\*S\*H*** ` gives _ **M\*A\*S\*H** _ ---
**Author:** ![abcdefghij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/43a26b/32.png) [@abcdefghij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abcdefghij)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2023, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/48 "2023-11-11T19:02:03Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Like _ **Scarface** _? Julie Roberts was Scarface? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2023, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/49 "2023-11-11T19:04:44Z")
> [@abcdefghij](#): > > Julia Roberts was Scarface? > **[Scarface (1983) ⭐ 8.3 | Crime, Drama](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086250/)** > > 2h 50m | 18+ ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2023, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/50 "2023-11-11T19:13:29Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Like _ **Scarface** _? Or like _Frankie and Johnny_, which starred Pfeiffer and Pacino, was also directed by Garry Marshall, and came out the year after Pretty Woman. I’m guessing since Marshall decided they weren’t quite right for his Disneyfied version of (originally titled) $3000, which became Pretty Woman, he decided to use them in a grittier production more suited to their talents. > **[Frankie and Johnny (1991 film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankie_and_Johnny_(1991_film))** > > Frankie and Johnny is a 1991 American romantic drama film directed by Garry Marshall and starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer in their first film together since Scarface (1983). Héctor Elizondo, Nathan Lane, and Kate Nelligan appear in supporting roles. The original score was composed by Marvin Hamlisch. > The screenplay for Frankie and Johnny was adapted by Terrence McNally from his own off-Broadway play Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (1987), which featured F. Murray Abraham and Ka... ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2023, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/51 "2023-11-11T19:34:17Z")
> [@abcdefghij](#): > > > [@robby](#): > > > > Which apparently in Discourse is impossible to properly include the asterisks between the letters because it interprets them as formatting marks > > ` ***M\*A\*S\*H*** ` gives _ **M\*A\*S\*H** _ If sufficiently desperate one could resort to Unicode 2217 as in M∗A∗S∗H ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2023, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/52 "2023-11-11T19:39:00Z")
> [@abcdefghij](#): > > > [@robby](#): > > > > Which apparently in Discourse is impossible to properly include the asterisks between the letters, because it interprets them as formatting marks. > > ` ***M\*A\*S\*H*** ` gives _ **M\*A\*S\*H** _ Nice job! I would never have figured that out. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2023, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/53 "2023-11-11T21:06:35Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Mark Hamil provide a marvelous voice-acting rendition of the Joker, & I often regret he never got the part, live-action. He is still alive, so never say never. > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Is it really that odd, for that time and place? Very common for aquantenices or not close friends, yes. [https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8eqg4x/in\_the\_victorian\_period\_how\_did\_people\_address/](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/8eqg4x/in_the_victorian_period_how_did_people_address/) _The use of first names (often referred to as “Christian names”) and nicknames (“pet names”) was restricted to people who were very close to each other - relatives and intimate friends of the same gender._ Apparently Holmes didnt feel that close to Watson, his only friend. > [@mbh](#): > > Sir James: It’s depressing that the words “secret agent” have become synonymous with “sex maniac.” Altho the film foundered later, in many ways I think Niven was the best Bond ever. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2023, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/54 "2023-11-11T22:25:12Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Jack, in _Lost_, was supposed to die in the pilot episode, but the show runners were impressed enough by the actor’s performance that they made him a lead character. Also on _Lost_, the character Ben Linus was supposed to only appear in a few episodes. Michael Emerson was so good as the bad guy that they expanded the role into the signature villain of the series. Which led to him being nominated for four Emmys, winning one. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@epbrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2023, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/55 "2023-11-12T02:30:44Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Talking with an employee: “Care for a drink?” “But it’s only 9:30, sir. Isn’t that a bit early?” “It’s half-past-midnight in Somalia, Pithins. Use your imagination.” The run-up to the storyline that lead to Favreau being kicked off IM3 as director. He wanted Tony to become an alcoholic like the “Demon in a Bottle” storyline from L&M, and RDJ fought hard against re-living his personal addiction struggles on screen. Looping back around to the thread topic, _that_ might be the significant change he brought to the character. Even with the character’s PTSD, he never turned to substance abuse. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2023, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/56 "2023-11-12T14:46:53Z")
Not trying to be a jerk, but “PTSD” was the only acronym/initialism I recognized in your whole post. The rest is gibberish. IM3? L&M? RDJ? Admittedly, showbiz is not my area of interest or expertise. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2023, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/57 "2023-11-12T14:55:14Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Not trying to be a jerk, but “PTSD” was the only acronym/initialism I recognized in your whole post. The rest is gibberish. IM3? L&M? RDJ? Admittedly, showbiz is not my area of interest or expertise. With some effort, I determined that: IM3 = _Iron Man 3_ RDJ = Robert Downey, Jr. No idea who or what “L&M” is. This is reminiscent of specialty message boards I read sometimes. A constant stream of abbreviations and acronyms that completely obscures the meaning to anyone not familiar with the topic. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2023, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/58 "2023-11-12T15:07:40Z")
L&M = Bob Layton and Dave Michilinie, co-writers for the Iron Man comic book in the late 1970s and early 1980s. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2023, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/59 "2023-11-12T15:30:49Z")
> [@robby](#): > > A constant stream of abbreviations and acronyms that completely obscures the meaning to anyone not familiar with the topic. We’ve certainly had threads and threads on whether / how to use initialisms / acronyms in a reader-friendly way here on our general interest board. And in my own areas of expertise, initialisms / acronyms are rampant and it takes real effort to write without them. Effort I usually, but not always, make successfully. It was funny in an uncomfortable way to read that post which was as Greek to me as I suppose some of mine have been to others. Payback’s a bitch I guess, or at least discomfiting. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@epbrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2023, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944/60 "2023-11-12T22:01:29Z")
I used RDJ to describe the actor in my previous post, I name **Layton** and **Michilinie** in same, and I don’t think it’s a crazy leap to deduce what **IM3** means after naming the director of Iron Man 1 and 2, Favreau. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/performers-that-completely-change-the-character-they-played/992944.md?page=4)