Random Actor//Movie//TV Facts thread

[PanthersPens62]

Some older sitcoms:

When Howard Hesseman was invited to audition for WKRP in Cincinnati, it was for the role of Herb Tarlek. But when he read the script beforehand, he felt a genuine connection to the character of Johnny Fever. When he arrived, he told the producers how he had all these ideas about the Johnny character. They already had another actor they wanted to play Johnny, but when he dropped out they remembered Hesseman's interest in it.

John Ratzenberger's original audition on Cheers was for the role of Norm. But after he auditioned, sensing that he struck out, he said "Every bar has somebody who thinks they're a know-it-all. You should a character like that on the show". And the role of Cliff Clavin was born.

There was supposed to be a recurring character on Cheers called Mrs. Littlefield, an older lady in a wheelchair who would make Archie Bunker-style politically incorrect comments. She's noticeable in many shots in the pilot episode, and she had several lines in the original script. But the audience didn't react to her, and when the episode needed to trimmed to fit in the timeslot, her lines were the ones that were cut. The character never appeared again.

On Soap, the original killer of Peter was supposed to Chuck, due to a split personality (with Bob being the one to testify against him). But the Chuck/Bob team had become so popular that the show decided not to make him the killer. At the end of the final episode of Season 1 when they showed five characters and said that one of them was the killer, they still hadn't decided which one it would be.

Interesting stuff about Soap. Having Chester be the killer was a MUCH better way to go. The stuff with him & Dutch in prison, their escape, and his memory loss was terrific stuff.

 

[Neutrinos]

I saw Filter in Montreal years ago (probably 12 years or so) and walked out after 5 songs as they had two warming acts and ran very late - had to drive back to Vermont. I only found out this week from the wife that they'd cancelled a bunch of shows after that so Patrick could enter rehab.

Meanwhile, Robert Patrick turned his T-1000 appearance into being the part-time replacement for David Duchovny on X-Files in the last 2 seasons (and yes, they also appeared together in a few episodes). And then of course starred in Sons of Anarchy. Which probably are fairly well known facts, but maybe someone doesn't know it

Harrison Ford was not the first choice for his two most iconic roles as Han Solo and Indiana Jones, because George Lucas had cast him as Falfa in American Graffiti and didn't want to use him again. Burt Reynolds was the first choice, according to legend, for Han Solo, but the list of actors considered is impressive: Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Jack Nicholson, Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Robert Englund (Freddie Kreuger), and Nick Nolte.

Meanwhile Tom Selleck was actually cast to play Indiana Jones, but CBS wouldn't let him out of his Magnum P.I. contract so he had to withdraw, leaving the door once again open for Ford.

Frankly, I don't see anyone other than Ford in those roles, either...none of these other guys would have brought the right look or attitude. Hell, even Ford can't these days

Burt Reynolds would've done a great job as Han Solo

 

[Babe Ruth]

I feel like Elm Sreet was already out when I saw him in V but could be wrong. There is so much good stuff in the Star Wars box sets you learn about. The making of the 1st Star Wars was pretty much a disaster at many points..

74, I haven't watched any Star Wars box sets.. but a while back I read a Lucas bio George Lucas: A Life (Jones). It went into a lot of detail about Lucas' writing, casting, & financing of the first Star Wars (including the Freddy Krueger-Luke Skywalker friendship).

I think V mini-series dropped a year before Elm Street.. if you were born in '74, u probably remember the brief V TV series too (?) Remember Freddy/Willie was an alien bartender.. peace.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Just read an article about Robert Englund and he mentioned he also almost got the Randy Quaid role in The Last Detail.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Michael Keaton's Real name?

Michael Douglas

Dammit. Was going to post this as well. Probably my favorite bit of random trivia.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

I've always found some of the alternative Ocean's 11 casting interesting -- Bill Murray instead of Elliot Gould, Johnny Depp instead of Don Cheadle, either the Wilson brothers (Owen and Luke) or the Coen brothers (Joel and Ethan -- seriously) as Virgil and Turk.
I like the actual cast just fine, but those are some interesting alternatives.

Speaking of Joel and Ethan Coen acting (well Joel, at least) -- Director John Landis packed the movie with cameos from director friends including Sam Rami, Joel Coen, Costa-Gravas, Terry Gilliam, Michael Apted, Ray Harryhausen and Larry Cohen.

 

[chicagoskycam]

74, I haven't watched any Star Wars box sets.. but a while back I read a Lucas bio George Lucas: A Life (Jones). It went into a lot of detail about Lucas' writing, casting, & financing of the first Star Wars (including the Freddy Krueger-Luke Skywalker friendship).

I think V mini-series dropped a year before Elm Street.. if you were born in '74, u probably remember the brief V TV series too (?) Remember Freddy/Willie was an alien bartender.. peace.

Yeah I loved the series as a kid. I remember him as one of the good Visitors. Amazing show for the 80's on network TV in terms of production.

 

[alko]

From Wiki:
Frank Stallone, Jr. (born July 30, 1950) is an American actor, singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the younger brother of Sylvester Stallone and wrote music for his movies. His song "Far from Over", which appeared in the 1983 film Staying Alive and was also featured in the film's soundtrack, peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, for which he received Golden Globe and Grammy nominations.

Staying Alive is a 1983 American dance film starring John Travolta as dancer Tony Manero, with Cynthia Rhodes, Finola Hughes, Joyce Hyser, Julie Bovasso, and dancers Viktor Manoel and Kevyn Morrow. It is a sequel to 1977's Saturday Night Fever. The film was directed by Sylvester Stallone, who also co-produced and co-wrote the film with the original Saturday Night Fever producer and writer, Robert Stigwood and Norman Wexler, respectively. This is, along with Homefront, one of only two films which Stallone wrote without being the star (although he does have a cameo appearance).

The film is listed in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book The Official Razzie Movie Guide as one of the 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made.[8]
Despite being a critical failure, Staying Alive was a commercial success. The film grossed nearly $65 million in the US box office against its $22 million budget. Worldwide it grossed $127 million. Though the US box office intake was significantly less than the $139.5 million[9] earned by Saturday Night Fever, the film nevertheless ranked in the top ten most financially successful films of 1983.

Unlike Saturday Night Fever, Staying Alive was not as successful and holds a score of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes.

 

[Acadmus]

Burt Reynolds would've done a great job as Han Solo

Nah...Ford did a great job toeing the line between cocky and serious, whereas Reynolds would've been all the way cocky and made the character more of a clown than a rogue. Ford was definitely the right man for the job. Too bad he doesn't remember how to act anymore, which totally ruined the experience of seeing him back as Solo and Indy in recent years.

 

[Neutrinos]

Nah...Ford did a great job toeing the line between cocky and serious, whereas Reynolds would've been all the way cocky and made the character more of a clown than a rogue. Ford was definitely the right man for the job. Too bad he doesn't remember how to act anymore, which totally ruined the experience of seeing him back as Solo and Indy in recent years.

 

[End on a Hinote]

I saw Filter in Montreal years ago (probably 12 years or so) and walked out after 5 songs as they had two warming acts and ran very late - had to drive back to Vermont. I only found out this week from the wife that they'd cancelled a bunch of shows after that so Patrick could enter rehab.

Meanwhile, Robert Patrick turned his T-1000 appearance into being the part-time replacement for David Duchovny on X-Files in the last 2 seasons (and yes, they also appeared together in a few episodes). And then of course starred in Sons of Anarchy. Which probably are fairly well known facts, but maybe someone doesn't know it

Harrison Ford was not the first choice for his two most iconic roles as Han Solo and Indiana Jones, because George Lucas had cast him as Falfa in American Graffiti and didn't want to use him again. Burt Reynolds was the first choice, according to legend, for Han Solo, but the list of actors considered is impressive: Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Jack Nicholson, Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Robert Englund (Freddie Kreuger), and Nick Nolte.

Meanwhile Tom Selleck was actually cast to play Indiana Jones, but CBS wouldn't let him out of his Magnum P.I. contract so he had to withdraw, leaving the door once again open for Ford.

Frankly, I don't see anyone other than Ford in those roles, either...none of these other guys would have brought the right look or attitude. Hell, even Ford can't these days

I disagree, I think Nick Nolte would have been perfect. Not necessarily better than Ford, but still great in it.

 

[Acadmus]

Nothing about his role in Deliverance screams "Han Solo" to me And better to take his role as The Bandit as a guideline to how he would have acted the part.