Movie Star Roles that Almost Happened, Part 4 Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In the 1975 movie "Jaws" the role of police chief Martin Brody was played by Roy Scheider. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: He was in "Ben-Hur.")

Answer: Charlton Heston

The movie "Jaws" turned out to be director Steven Spielberg's first big blockbuster, and the young director didn't have the clout in casting decisions he would have for later movies. Both Robert Duvall and Charlton Heston were considered for the role of Police Chief Brody (played in the movie by Roy Scheider). Both Jeff Bridges and Jon Voight were considered for the role of the scientist Matt Hooper (played in the movie by Richard Dreyfuss). Both Lee Marvin and Sterling Hayden were considered for the role of the grizzled sailor Quint (played in the movie by Robert Shaw).

Although "Jaws" was based on a fictional novel by Peter Benchley, that novel was inspired by an actual man-eating shark attack in New Jersey in 1916.

2. In the 1994 movie "Quiz Show" the role of college professor and quiz show contestant Charles Van Doren was played by Ralph Fiennes. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: He was in "The Shawshank Redemption.")

Answer: Tim Robbins

Tim Robbins was considered for the role of Prof. Charles Van Doren (played in the movie by Ralph Fiennes). Robert Redford directed this film, and was nominated for an Oscar in the 1995 Academy Awards as Best Director (but lost to Robert Zemeckis who directed the movie "Forrest Gump").

After the scandal about the fixed quiz show broke, Van Doren resigned from his teaching post at Columbia University. He went on to become editorial director of the Encyclopaedia Britannica and write several books.

3. In the 1962 movie "Lolita" the role of sexy teenager Dolores "Lolita" Haze was played by Sue Lyon. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: She was in "The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington.")

Answer: Joey Heatherton

The provocative nature of this story (middle-aged man falls in love with a 14-year-old girl) led to quite a bit of cast shuffling in the movie version. Director Stanley Kubrick originally wanted Joey Heatherton to play Lolita, but her father nixed that idea. Hayley Mills also turned down the role of Lolita (it was later revealed Walt Disney had a hand in that decision because both she and her father, John Mills, appeared in several Disney movies). Tuesday Weld was considered to play Lolita, but since the censors at that time would allow nothing even close to suggesting pedophilia, Sue Lyon was chosen for the title role, partly because she was more developed physically. Peter Ustinov, David Niven, Marlon Brando and Laurence Olivier were all considered for the role of Prof. Humbert Humbert, but in the end, he was played by Kubrick's first choice--James Mason.

4. In the 1970 movie "MASH" the role of wise-cracking Army surgeon "Trapper" John McIntyre was played by Elliott Gould. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: He was in "Deliverance.")

Answer: Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds turned down the role of "Trapper" John, but he was one of the few "name" stars considered for the project. The movie "MASH" was made on a shoestring budget, with director Robert Altman keeping costs down by casting many unknown actors (14 of the movie's 30 speaking roles were played by actors making their screen debut). Only three actors appeared in both the movie and the subsequent American TV series M*A*S*H, with the most notable being Gary Burghoff (who played "Radar" O'Reilly in both the film and TV series).

5. In the 1995 movie "Casino" the role of Ginger, the call girl who became the wife of Sam "Ace" Rothstein, was played by Sharon Stone. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: She was in "Evita.")

Answer: Madonna

Madonna was considered for the role of Ginger, but Sharon Stone convinced director Martin Scorsese that she should be cast. Although the Tangiers casino shown in the movie was fictional, the story is based on the actual history of the Stardust casino.

The interior casino scenes were shot at the Riviera casino in the early morning hours so as to not get in the way of real gamblers. Mob lawyer Oscar Goodman plays himself in the movie, in a scene with the Joe Pesci character. In 1999, he was elected Mayor of Las Vegas.

6. In the 1970 movie "Love Story" the role of Harvard Law student Oliver Barrett IV was played by Ryan O'Neal. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: He was in "Romancing the Stone.")

Answer: Michael Douglas

Both Michael Douglas and Peter Fonda turned down the role of Oliver. In the 1971 Academy Awards, both Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw (who played Oliver's girlfriend and eventual wife Jenny Cavalleri) were nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress Oscars, but neither won. The movie's famous tagline is "Love means never having to say you're sorry."

7. In the 2001 movie "Monster's Ball" the role of Leticia, the wife of a condemned prisoner, was played by Halle Berry. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: She was in "Shaft," "Dance with Me," and "Soul Food.")

Answer: Vanessa Williams

Vanessa Williams turned down the role of Leticia because of the full frontal nudity involved. Angela Bassett claims she was considered for the role of Leticia, but the film's producer Lee Daniels rebuts this. Wes Bentley turned down the role of Sonny Grotowski, the prison guard's son (played in the movie by Heath Ledger). The movie title "Monster's Ball" comes from what inmates on death row call their last night before execution, e.g., their final meal, last visit with their family, etc. In the 2002 Academy Awards, Halle Berry won Best Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of Leticia.

8. In the 1982 movie "An Officer and a Gentleman" the role of Zack Mayo, the Navy Flight School applicant with an attitude problem, was played by Richard Gere. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: He was in "Saturday Night Fever.")

Answer: John Travolta

Both John Travolta and John Denver turned down the lead role of playing Zack Mayo. The role of Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley (played in the movie by Lou Gossett, Jr.) was originally offered to former Marine Scott Glenn. This was the third movie in which Richard Gere accepted a role that John Travolta had turned down (the previous two were the 1980 movie "American Gigolo" and the 1978 movie "Days of Heaven").

In 2002, there would be a fourth: "Chicago." In the 1983 Academy Awards, Debra Winger was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role (but didn't win). Lou Gossett, Jr. did win an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

9. In the 1979 movie "Kramer vs. Kramer" the role of Joanna Kramer, the young mother who goes through a divorce and custody fight, was played by Meryl Streep. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: She was in "On Golden Pond.")

Answer: Jane Fonda

Both Jane Fonda and Kate Jackson were considered for the part of Joanna Kramer, but Fonda turned the role down and Jackson was busy with the American TV series "Charlie's Angels." Al Pacino was the first choice to play Ted Kramer (played in the movie by Dustin Hoffman), but he turned the part down.

The scenes in the movie where their little boy Billy (played in the movie by Justin Henry) serves himself ice-cream ("one more step and you're in big trouble, mister") are a classic most young parents should be able to identify with.

In the 1980 Academy Awards, Dustin Hoffman won Best Actor in a Leading Role, Meryl Streep won Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and the movie won Best Picture.

10. In the 1977 movie "Star Wars" the role of Han Solo was played by Harrison Ford. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: He was in "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" and "Cape Fear.")

Answer: Nick Nolte

Nick Nolte, Burt Reynolds, Kurt Russell, and Christopher Walken were all considered for the role of Han Solo, but after Harrison Ford read for the part, director George Lucas concluded Ford was perfect for the role. Sissy Spacek was originally cast as Princess Leia in "Star Wars" and Carrie Fisher was cast in the 1976 movie "Carrie." However, Carrie Fisher refused to appear in nude scenes in "Carrie," but Spacek was willing to do them. So, they switched parts and Carrie Fisher did Princess Leia. Jodie Foster was also considered for this role.

The movie's famous line is that it took place "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away."

Source: Author root17

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor skunkee before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

I'll give you a character and the actor who played him/her in a well-known movie. You choose, from the multiple choices, who else was seriously considered for that part.

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