# The X-Men Movie: Who wanted to be Xavier? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 9, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-x-men-movie-who-wanted-to-be-xavier/228205 "2004-02-09T01:23:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-x-men-movie-who-wanted-to-be-xavier/228205/1 "2004-02-09T01:23:50Z")
Director Bryan Singer comments briefly that somebody other than Patrick Stewart approached him to play the part of Dr. Charles Xavier, and that it would have been a very different movie with that person in the role. Singer seemed amazed that this person was “totally serious” in wanting the part. Singer also refrains from mentioning any names. Anyone know who it was, and why the choice would have been shocking or unusual (besides the fact that Patrick Stewart’s hairline was born to play that role)? ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-x-men-movie-who-wanted-to-be-xavier/228205/2 "2004-02-09T01:59:26Z")
While Patrick Stewart was inspired casting (as were Ian McKellan and Hugh Jackman), the only other actor I could ever see playing Professor Xavier is Ben Kingsley. Watch him in Species and you can see it–I believe that character was even named Xavier too! ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-x-men-movie-who-wanted-to-be-xavier/228205/3 "2004-02-09T02:23:20Z")
Could it be Kevin Spacey (:dubious:)? > [@](#): > > From [Dark Horizons](http://www.darkhorizons.com/2000/x-men/xback.htm): > At the recent “A Conversation With Kevin Spacey” interview at the San Jose festival, Director Bryan Singer was on-hand to introduce Kevin. When Spacey was asked on the subject of him and Singer working together again he apparently said “I hope so”, and followed that up with some swooshing hand movements which he explained was he and Bryan ‘speaking their own language’ with regard to X-Men, which Singer begins shooting in June. I followed the pre-production X-Men movie rumors (pre-2000) and all the gossip I read was about Mr Stewart as Xavier. ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-x-men-movie-who-wanted-to-be-xavier/228205/4 "2004-02-09T02:24:33Z")
Errr… that smiley was supposed to indicate I’m dubious about the rumour, not happy about it. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/First_Amongst_Daves)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-x-men-movie-who-wanted-to-be-xavier/228205/5 "2004-02-09T07:55:35Z")
Kevin Spacey in X-men? As Mr Sinister or something? What an odd casting. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-x-men-movie-who-wanted-to-be-xavier/228205/6 "2004-02-09T13:16:36Z")
Could it have been…Christopher Reeve? Bizarre image, yeah, but… ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-x-men-movie-who-wanted-to-be-xavier/228205/7 "2004-02-09T15:23:54Z")
> [@](#): > > While Patrick Stewart was inspired casting (as were Ian McKellan and Hugh Jackman) It wasn’t real hard to select Stewart. I mean, even Wizard polls on the subject that had been coming out since STNG began had basically been loudly declaring that Stewart _was_ Professor X. It was the right choice, but really obvious. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-x-men-movie-who-wanted-to-be-xavier/228205/8 "2004-02-09T20:38:12Z")
Hollywood doesn’t exactly have a lot of names on its list of “bald authority figures (wheelchair optional),” y’know? 😉 Though Christopher Reeve as Xavier would have been… interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-x-men-movie-who-wanted-to-be-xavier/228205/9 "2004-02-10T00:42:10Z")
Mike Myers could have played it. And he only would have charged _one million dollars!_ ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-x-men-movie-who-wanted-to-be-xavier/228205/10 "2004-02-10T01:01:48Z")
Ben Kingsly certainly is an interesting possibility. The thing is, all that’s really essential to look the part is a chrome dome and a Y chromosome. It could have been Tom Cruise with some clippers and a Bic razor in each hand. It does seem natural to guess, though, that the first choices would be notable Hollywood baldies of a certain age. I dunno, Sean Connery? William Shatner (heh)? Rober Duvall? Ed Harris?.. (giggle, snort) _Joe Pantoliano_? Just imagine. “Ay, Magnido, _fock you_, okay? I don’t need this shit from you! You touch wunna my fockin’ people again, and I’m gonna send over some more a’ my guys, an’ you’re gonna end up on th’ bottom of the East River, **you hear me you fockin’ sonofabitch**?” Man, I could go on and on…