# Recast (badly) famous movie roles **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 8, 2007, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241 "2007-06-08T11:51:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ferd\_Burfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@Ferd\_Burfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferd_Burfel)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/21 "2007-06-08T18:09:37Z")
Jean Claude VanDamme in … … ``` ................... actually in *anything*. ``` ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/22 "2007-06-08T18:34:39Z")
I was out drinking recently with a friend’s son. He is in his twenties and at the pub we were at we happened to bump into some of his friends. Amongst them was a young guy who is a comedian/writer and he told us a long story about a bit he had written that was ripped off by other people on an Aussie TV show. It wsa based on Seymour Philip Hoffman winning the Oscar for his part in _Capote_. He said, it occured to him one day that all these people saying that Hoffman had **nailed** Capote had probably never seen or heard Capote and maybe he was nothing like that but that was all Hoffman could do. He then proceeded to do his impression of SPH auditioning for many other roles and doing them just like his turn in _Capote_. My favourite was: [Capote]The truth. The truth. You want the truth! I mock your truth handling abilities.[/Capote] closely followed by: [Capote]I could have been one of those in contention, contending, a contender. I could have been somebody instead of a hobo, which is what I am.[/Capote] Maybe you had to be there but it was just about the funniest five minutes of my life. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/23 "2007-06-08T18:40:39Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Streep in Sophie’s Choice – **Drew Barrymore** Close in Fatal Attraction – **Sandra Bullock** Cher in Moonstruck – **Alicia Silverstone** Kathleen Turner in Body Heat – **Jennifer Lopez** Kathy Bates in Misery – **Paula Poundstone** [/QUOTE] Be _very_ careful what you joke about…I could see very easily a studio exec going along with any one of those ideas. [QUOTE=astorian] Chuck Norris as Gandhi [/QUOTE] What’re you talking about?? Norris would be [perfect](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5E9uPWkuRk)! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/24 "2007-06-08T18:43:49Z")
Anne Ramsey as Lady Viola in Shakespeare in Love With Pauly Shore as Shakespeare 🙂 Rob Reiner as the Narrator in Fight Club George Carlin as Alexander Pope in The Red Violin Andy Richter as Homer in October Sky ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/25 "2007-06-08T18:49:24Z")
Leslie Nielsen-Hamlet ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/26 "2007-06-08T18:49:31Z")
[QUOTE=Lumpy] My pick is Eastwood in any Dirty Harry movie – **Woody Allen**. And the kicker would be that Allen wouldn’t be trying for laughs- he’d be playing the role straight trying to act like a tough-guy cop. [/QUOTE] “Go ahead. Make my day. Because I’m going to send you to etenal nothingness, which is a nice place if you’re dressed for it.” ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/27 "2007-06-08T19:04:05Z")
Jessica Tandy as Ellen Ripley in the _Alien_ series. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/28 "2007-06-08T19:21:49Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] Jessica Tandy as Ellen Ripley in the _Alien_ series. [/QUOTE] That’s such a prized role and being alive will probably figure in to the casting decision, so I’m going to offer a few viable alternatives, if you don’t mind: Judi Dench Helen Mirren Olympia Dukakis Meredith Vieira Katie Couric Rachael Ray ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/29 "2007-06-08T20:29:04Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] That’s such a prized role and being alive will probably figure in to the casting decision, so I’m going to offer a few viable alternatives, if you don’t mind: Judi Dench Helen Mirren Olympia Dukakis Meredith Vieira Katie Couric Rachael Ray [/QUOTE] I didn’t know Jessica Tandy was dead, but I can actually see Dames Judi and Helen playing a Ripley-esque character. They certainly are both capable of the steely determination aspects of the role, if not the intensely physical ones. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/30 "2007-06-08T20:36:14Z")
William…Shatner…in any…dramatic…role KHAAAAAANNNN!!! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/31 "2007-06-08T20:43:54Z")
I can see Shatner doing Shakespeare. In fact, I think that’s how he got his start. To be. Or. Not to. Be. That. Is the. Question. Spock! ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/32 "2007-06-08T20:52:18Z")
I recall a thread llike this. If memory serves, my bad casting included: Wally Cox as Dirty Harry and Paul Lynde is Snake Plissken! Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/33 "2007-06-08T20:55:13Z")
Robert Knepper as Edna Turnblad. He’s way too thin. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/34 "2007-06-08T20:56:50Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] I didn’t know Jessica Tandy was dead, but I can actually see Dames Judi and Helen playing a Ripley-esque character. They certainly are both capable of the steely determination aspects of the role, if not the intensely physical ones. [/QUOTE] Yes, sorry to report that [Jessica Tandy](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001788/) left us in 1994. Good points about the Dames Dench and Mirren. It might even be a fun movie with some of the others. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Hildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Johnny\_Hildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Hildo)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/35 "2007-06-09T00:59:48Z")
[QUOTE=Ferd Burfel] I was going to say that SCTV had already done that, but the more I think about it, it was **Taxi Driver** with Woody Allen as Travis Bickle. [/QUOTE] MAD TV did a sketch with Woody Allen in Bruce Willis’ role in _Die Hard._ ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/36 "2007-06-09T01:01:57Z")
Desi Arnaz & Lucille Ball in _Misery_ (“Waaaahhh!!! You killed my Misery!” “Now honey, it was 1869, women died in childbirth!” “I don’t care you Cuban cocksucker! I want her baaaaaaaaaaack!” Charles Nelson Reilly in _The Exorcist_ (Demon: “I just saw your mother in Hellllllll…” Father CNR: “Oh God, please don’t tell her I’m here…”) Don Knotts in _The Godfather_ (“You gotta nip those Barzinis in the bud, Mikey, nip 'em in the bud! I like wine more than I used to.”) ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/37 "2007-06-09T02:11:30Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Kathleen Turner in _Body Heat_ Kathy Bates in _Misery_ [/QUOTE] Hell, how about Kathy Bates in **Body Heat** and Kathleen Turner in **Misery**? “Your husband? Honey, I wouldn’t kill _Hitler_ to sleep with you.” “OK, so let me get this straight. You’re gonna chain me half-naked to the bed and shoot me up with drugs all day while I write the Great American Novel? Where’s the catch?” ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/38 "2007-06-09T02:26:14Z")
I’d almost say Keanu Reeves as Harker in Dracula, but it’s been done and I don’t want to turn this into an anti-Keanu thread. It’s been done. So let’s turn that around. How about John Wayne, Robert DeNiro, Jack Black or Chris Farley as Neo in The Matrix? **Jimmy Stewart** as Dirty Harry. _“Now look here. This here is a .44 magnum. Yeah. It sure is. The most powerful gun made by man Well sure. So…so the question you gotta ask yourself is…well…you gotta ask yourself if you feel lucky. So…do you feel lucky, punk?”_ Try **Ellen Degeneres** as Ripley. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/39 "2007-06-09T03:29:15Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] I can see Shatner doing Shakespeare. In fact, I think that’s how he got his start. To be. Or. Not to. Be. That. Is the. Question. Spock! [/QUOTE] [Been done… Kind off](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yerCiByca4)😃 ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241/40 "2007-06-09T04:53:23Z")
so we can used deceased celebs now? cool. How about Keanu Reeves, Emilio Estevez, or Judd Hirsch as _Rick Blane_ in **Casablanca**? eta - I knew they’re not dead - that firsat sentance was a completely separate comment [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-badly-famous-movie-roles/407241.md?page=3)