Casting what-if's

Started by Freddie Dodd, October 13, 2019, 03:37:24 PM

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Freddie Dodd

Here were the actors considerate by Paul or the producers for the roles of each movie. This is based on IMDB or other sources of actors either being rumored for the role or did some audition for PTA and company.

Boogie Nights:

Jack Horner was offered to Warren Beatty,  Jack Nicholson, Sydney Pollack, Harvey Keitel, Albert Brooks, Bill Murray.

Dirk Diggler/Eddie Adams was legendary offered to Leonardo DiCaprio, who consider it the biggest regret of his career. Jason Lee and future player Joaquin Phoenix were also in consideration for the iconic character.

Amber Waves/Maggie was offered to Jennifer Jason Leigh, Marisa Tomei, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Patricia Arquette.

Buck Swope was offered to Hard Eight star Samuel L. Jackson.

Rollergirl was offered to Hard Eight star Gwyneth Paltrow, with Drew Berrymoore and Tatum O'Neil in consideration.


Magnolia:

Burt Reynolds was offered by Anderson to play Frank T.J Mackey but decline due to heated conflicts from the Boogie Nights set.

Marlon Brando and George C. Scott was offered for Earl Partridge. Scott turned down the role, stating it was the biggest fucking worst script he's ever read. Jason Robards would resumed playing the role

Debra Winger was up for the role of Linda Partridge.


Punch Drunk Love:

Sean Penn was offered for Dean Trumball before Anderson went with recurring player Philip Seymour Hoffman.

The Master:

Reese Witherspoon was considered for the role of Peggy Dodd, before production took a halt by Universal due to budget reasons.

Amanda Seyfried and Emma Stone was consider for the role of Elizabeth Dodd

Jeremy Renner was up for Freedy Quell

Inherent Vice:

Robert Downey Jr. was offered the role Doc Sportello but told Anderson he was "too old" for the role.

Charlize Theron was consider for one of the roles in the movie, likely the minor Witherspoon role.


There are more casting choices likely not mentioned but these are the roles I could find on the internet. Interesting to think about the possibilities of these actors playing the roles, as so many of them are interlocked with the finished product that we couldn't possibly imagine another actor stepping in the shoes of that role. Do you think any of the roles could've come out well or was the finished casting choice the right call from Anderson?

Tdog

"Burt Reynolds was offered by Anderson to play Frank T.J Mackey but decline due to heated conflicts from the Boogie Nights set."

What? That makes no sense.

Freddie Dodd

Quote from: Tdog on October 13, 2019, 05:07:45 PM
"Burt Reynolds was offered by Anderson to play Frank T.J Mackey but decline due to heated conflicts from the Boogie Nights set."

What? That makes no sense.

Anderson thought of Reynolds for the role, this was confirmed in some interview. I thought he was up for Gator or Partridge at first until reading him talk about working with Burt again after the fiascos between the two on set.  Just be reminded some of these rumors are spotty, with not much backup information from Anderson or other news to confirm about these possibilities.

trytotell

New Line wanted him to cast Patricia Arquette as Jessie St. Vincent. He wanted Walters but offered it to Arquette, figuring correctly, that she would turn it down since it was a minor role. She was never up for Amber.

I've heard the Marisa Tomei rumor but I doubt it. She didn't do sex/nude scenes back then, plus her career was in a slump. The only one I could see him considering for Amber would be JJL because they are/were friends.

Michael Shannon was in talks to play Bigfoot, but had scheduling conflicts with Boardwalk Empire. Sean Penn was rumored to be Adrian Prussia. As for Theron, she'd make more sense as Penny but I wonder if Warner Bros. tried to get him to cast her as Shasta. Though he voiced interest in working with her, he'd know she would be all wrong. And I thought he told Downey Jr. he was too old, not the other way around?


Tdog

He was also considering Jim Carey for a role in IV. Possibly for Bigfoot after Shannon.

Freddie Dodd

Quote from: trytotell on October 13, 2019, 05:38:53 PM
New Line wanted him to cast Patricia Arquette as Jessie St. Vincent. He wanted Walters but offered it to Arquette, figuring correctly, that she would turn it down since it was a minor role. She was never up for Amber.

I've heard the Marisa Tomei rumor but I doubt it. She didn't do sex/nude scenes back then, plus her career was in a slump. The only one I could see him considering for Amber would be JJL because they are/were friends.

Michael Shannon was in talks to play Bigfoot, but had scheduling conflicts with Boardwalk Empire. Sean Penn was rumored to be Adrian Prussia. As for Theron, she'd make more sense as Penny but I wonder if Warner Bros. tried to get him to cast her as Shasta. Though he voiced interest in working with her, he'd know she would be all wrong. And I thought he told Downey Jr. he was too old, not the other way around?

According to this website producers were considering Arquette for Amber Waves. You were right that producers wanted her for Jesse Saint Vincent but Paul was wise enough to contact her and have the role turn down for the smallness. Jennifer Jason Leigh was asked by Paul and turned down out of fear of being typecast as playing sex workers or druggies.

I forgot about Shannon, who would've been perfect for the role, though Brolin does a fine job in the film.

Downey stated this in a interview about his involvement with the project:

"I'm really fortunate that, first and foremost, I'm friends with PTA. And he is so much more than a filmmaker. He's just someone that you go, 'If I could spend a big chunk of every day with this guy, then I'd be a better person.' So, that's great. He and my dad are pals," he told Grantland about his relationship with the filmmaker. But when it comes to "Inherent Vice" he makes it clear the gig was not his from the start and that Joaquin Phoenix was always the man for the job.
(A) Nobody should have done that movie besides him, and (b) Paul was never really thinking about me for it, and it's not because he's cryptic," he said. "It's because they have a Scorsese–De Niro thing. At this point, I'd be happy to offer Mr. Anderson any and every film I do from now on. I love watching what they do."

Theron was likely consider for Shasta though no word on what she's was being consider for. Speaking of Penn I've heard he was in consideration for Rahad Jackson, though the role seems too small for him to play at the time.

Alethia

Quote from: Tdog on October 14, 2019, 05:36:52 AM
He was also considering Jim Carey for a role in IV. Possibly for Bigfoot after Shannon.

I'd have guessed Blatnoyd.

polkablues

Michael Shannon had basically already played Bigfoot in Premium Rush a couple years earlier.

My house, my rules, my coffee

kingfan011

Its fascinating the variety of big stars that might have been in Inherent Vice in place of the big stars we got.

Freddie Dodd

Quote from: kingfan011 on February 24, 2020, 06:09:26 PM
Its fascinating the variety of big stars that might have been in Inherent Vice in place of the big stars we got.

It's something to think about. Something that makes ya think.

Casting alt-universes are my shit. I'm still trying to process some of the alternative choices fans wanted in the blog. Love to contemplate whatever to see De Niro or Walken in the Mickey Wolfmann role, or have Warren Beatty in the role after passing Jack Horner(Shannon is too young for Mickey. Same with the Eve Green for Sloane suggestion. They look weirdly placed with the geriatric legends and the fifty-something actresses  who were mainstays in 80's/90's films.)

ForTheHungryBoy

To this day I can't believe production actually begun with Renner playing Freddie!

I don't even want to imagine that alternative universe. Truly wonder whether the movie would get half the acclaim it does to this day

pynchonikon

Quote from: ForTheHungryBoy on February 26, 2020, 05:44:01 PM
To this day I can't believe production actually begun with Renner playing Freddie!

I don't think there is anyone who really can. For me Joaquin is one of the main reasons the movie not only works but plays on another level. He was the right guy for the right role at the right time.


wilberfan

Not strictly a casting whaht-if question, but do we have any sense of why PTA has continued to work with some people since his early career--but not others? 

I've been thinking about that recently.  It occurred to me today that he hasn't used (for example) Melora Walters since Magnolia--but continues to work with Joanne Sellers.  He used Christine Sheaks (Casting) for two or three films and switched to the Asst Casting Director on Boogie Nights since.  It seems clear he would have continued to work with PSH.  He seems to have had a falling out with Elswit...  But he's worked with Bridges on every. single. film.

Maybe I'm over-thinking it, and people's paths just naturally converge and diverge...

kingfan011

Quote from: wilberfan on March 03, 2020, 01:13:17 PM
Not strictly a casting whaht-if question, but do we have any sense of why PTA has continued to work with some people since his early career--but not others? 

I've been thinking about that recently.  It occurred to me today that he hasn't used (for example) Melora Walters since Magnolia--but continues to work with Joanne Sellers.  He used Christine Sheaks (Casting) for two or three films and switched to the Asst Casting Director on Boogie Nights since.  It seems clear he would have continued to work with PSH.  He seems to have had a falling out with Elswit...  But he's worked with Bridges on every. single. film.

Maybe I'm over-thinking it, and people's paths just naturally converge and diverge...


No I think that's interesting to. I have wondered if PTA has fallen out with anybody else. You wouldn't know as he seems to keep any unpleasantness like that close to the chest.

I was completely surprised that he Elswitt had a falling out. I remember listening to that clip and Elswitt seemed to really dislike him now. I had no idea.

Robyn

Quote from: kingfan011 on March 03, 2020, 01:24:04 PM
I remember listening to that clip and Elswitt seemed to really dislike him now.

Please post it here if you can. :)