10 career-changing roles that almost weren't

What if?

That was my reaction when I went over an article titled Star Misses: 10 Career-Changing Roles That Weren’t from a recent issue of Forbes magazine, a clipping of which was sent to Funfare by somebody who requested to be identified only as “A Hopelessly-Addicted Reader.”

It’s so interesting that I can’t resist the temptation to share it with Funfare readers, “hopelessly-addicted” and otherwise.

Excerpts:

Imagine Nicole Kidman accepting the Academy Award for the role of Hanna Schmitz in The Reader. Or Gwyneth Paltrow boarding the Titanic. Or how about The Graduate with Robert Redford playing Benjamin Braddock — instead of Dustin Hoffman.

Those were studios’ early choices to fill these legendary film roles. Hard to believe? Little wonder: “The essence of a good casting decision is that you simply take it for granted,” says Janet Hirshenson, a casting agent behind some of Hollywood’s biggest films, including A Beautiful Mind, When Harry Met Sally and A Few Good Men.

“I think that when it all comes together and it works (you couldn’t) imagine anybody else,” adds Jane Jenkins, Hirshenson’s casting partner and co-author of A Star Is Found: Our Adventures of Casting Some of Hollywood’s Biggest Movies. “It only sticks out like a sore thumb when it doesn’t work, but usually those movies don’t do well enough for anybody to even notice...”

Here’s a look at 10 iconic movie roles that almost went to others.

1) Titanic starring...Gwyneth Paltrow

Had James Cameron had his way, Gwyneth Paltrow would have boarded the infamous ocean liner in the box office smash Titanic. But the Shakespeare in Love star reportedly told the press the film wasn’t her “cup of tea.” Fortunately, Kate Winslet — not yet a leading lady — wasn’t of the same opinion and pleaded to be cast. The Academy agreed on the fit, nominating Winslet for an Oscar.

2) Knocked Up starring...Anne Hathaway

The Devil Wears Prada star was originally cast as Knocked Up’s Alison Scott, a successful entertainment reporter whose one-night stand with a slacker leads to a surprise pregnancy, before dropping out for creative reasons...The raunchy flick proved a smash hit at the box office, and the part made Grey’s Anatomy actress Katherine Heigl a big screen star.

3) The Godfather starring...Ernest Borgnine

While it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Marlon Brando playing the don of the Corleone family, Brando wasn’t the original choice. Academy Award winner Ernest Borgnine was an earlier candidate for the now legendary role.

4) Forrest Gump starring...John Travolta

Hard to imagine Travolta drawling “Life is like a box of chocolates.” And yet Tom Hanks only snagged the role of slow-talking Forrest Gump after the Pulp Fiction star turned it down. It worked out well for Hanks, who went on to win his second Oscar for the part in Robert Zemeckis’ 1994 flick. Travolta has since admitted his decision to pass was a mistake.

5) Pretty Woman starring...Molly Ringwald

The Breakfast Club star was originally offered the role as Pretty Woman’s prostitute but reportedly turned it down. That proved good news for Julia Roberts, who snagged the famous part instead. The character not only earned Roberts an Oscar nomination but also an A-list career.

6) The Reader starring...Nicole Kidman

A-list beauty Nicole Kidman was initially cast as former Nazi prison guard Hanna Schmitz in Stephen Daldry’s postwar-Germany drama The Reader. But when she became pregnant, the Australian talent was forced to step down, passing the Academy Award winning role to Kate Winslet. (Winslet eventually won a Best Actress Oscar for the role.)

7) The Graduate starring...Robert Redford

Redford was originally considered for the part of Benjamin Braddock, but director Mike Nichols didn’t believe the hunky actor could convincingly play an underdog. Apparently Dustin Hoffman could — and did.

8) Brokeback Mountain starring...Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix

Before Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger scored the now legendary roles in the acclaimed “gay cowboy” flick, Mark Wahlberg tells the press he and actor Joaquin Phoenix were considered for the roles. They reportedly passed because they were “a little creeped out” by the sex scenes. In the end, the critically-acclaimed film scored Heath Ledger an Oscar nod.

9) Casablanca starring...George Raft

Raft had been the studio’s first choice for the role of Casablanca’s Rick Blaine. But when the popular leading man wasn’t available for the film, the then-minor player Humphrey Bogart was reluctantly offered the iconic role. Now fans can’t imagine anyone else uttering the famous words: “Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.”

10) Raiders of the Lost Ark starring...Tom Selleck

Selleck was offered the part of Indiana Jones in Steven Spielberg’s 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, but he was too busy filming his TV show Magnum P.I. The part of the swashbuckling archaeologist went to Harrison Ford instead.

What’s up?

• Pining R. Santiago of Radyo ng Bayan marked her 50th year as radio announcer, writer, poet, queen of national language, stage actress, drama actress, singer, lyricist and composer last April 4 with friends and loved ones at the Shangrila Restaurant in Quezon City. Her most popular program is Awit Ko’y Dinggin (Harana).

• No, the Sabado Boys (not Sabado Nights) TV show hasn’t faded out. It is aired Sundays at 11:30 a.m. on Studio 23 (not RPN as earlier reported).

• Dubbed by Marie Claire Philippine Edition mag as “tri-media supermodel,” Anna Sideco is one of the facilitators in the Summer Workshop: Be in the Spotlight for aspiring models and commercial models, slated starting April 13. It’s being organized by Zaldy International Professional Training. For further inquiries, call 910-5472 or 0917-5036295.

• From reader Kerwin, these clarifications: The human lead in Alvin and the Chipmunks is played by Jason Lee, not Justin Long...The Mikaela ad featuring Rufa Mae Quinto is inspired by the Hollywood movie American Beauty, not America’s Sweethearts...Roy Firestone is an ESPN anchor, not an actor...and Dr. Hayden Kho finished high school at Grace Christian High School, now known as Grace Christian College, where Carlo Maceda also studied.

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