Special Sub-Topic: First Casting Choice Click Here To Play: First Casting Choice

Marty McFly in "Back to the Future" (1985). Michael J. Fox played the role, but who did the filmmakers want first?

Eric Stoltz. Eric Stolz was actually cast, not just offered the role, but after a week or two of shooting the director just didn't feel he acted enough like a teenager (even though both Stolz and Fox were the same age, their mid-twenties). Stolz went on to other things like "Some Kind of Wonderful," "Pulp Fiction" and "Killing Zoe." Charlie Sheen replaced Fox in the TV show "Spin City" when Fox devoted more of his time to crusading for Parkinson's disease. Estevez is Sheen's brother (Estevez is their real name). Sean Penn was married to Madonna (but that has nothing to do with anything, does it?)

FBI Trainee Clarice Starling in "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991). The role was played by Jodie Foster and won her a second Best Actress Oscar. But who was the first choice?

Michelle Pfeiffer. Meg Ryan was offered the role, but only after Michelle Pfeiffer turned it down. Julianne Moore played Starling in "Hannibal" (2001) after Foster turned it down. Her official reason being that she was preparing to direct a film, but some speculate she didn't agree with the gruesomeness of the film.

Detective Axel Foley in "Beverly Hills Cop" (1984). Eddie Murphy wasn't the first choice, who was?

Sylvester Stallone. What a different movie Stallone would've made! In fact if you see "Cobra" (1986) you'll see exactly the movie he would've made. Rourke was offered the role as well, but when Murphy got the gig it became the action-comedy we know and love today.

Archeologist Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr. in "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Played by Harrison Ford. Who was first choice?

Tom Selleck. Tom Selleck was committed to the TV series "Magnum, P.I." and couldn't do the part. Nolte turned it down. Spielberg has said that Ford plays the guy he'd like to be and Dreyfuss ["Jaws" (1975), "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977)] plays the guy he is. John Malkovich was in Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun" (1987).

R.P. McMurphy in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" (1975). The role was played by Jack Nicholson, but he wasn't the first choice. Who was?

James Caan. In the book R.P. McMurphy is a tall, red-headed southerner. Also the story is told from Chief Bromden's (the large Native American patient) point of view. Kirk Douglas actually owned the rights to the story for many years and performed the role of McMurphy on stage, but by the time the film was made he was too old. His son, Michael Douglas, produced the film. Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman were considered for the role as well.

General Patton in "Patton" (1970). George C. Scott got the role that was turned down by whom?

Rod Steiger. George C. Scott actually refused to attend the Oscar ceremony of that year because he didn't feel that he was in competition with other actors. Not out of arrogance, but from a respect for his profession. He didn't like the way serious actors were forced to become stars through what he termed the "meat market." He won anyway.

Mohandas K. Gandhi in "Gandhi" (1982). Ben Kingsley won an Oscar for his portrayal of the Mahatma, but who might we have wound up with if the filmmaker's had gone with their first choice?

Alec Guinness. That's right, Obi-Wan Kenobi [won the Oscar for "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1958)] and Hannibal Lecter [won the Oscar for "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991)] were both considered. John Gielgud won an Oscar for playing the butler to spoiled millionaire Dudley Moore in "Arthur" (1981) and actor Richard Attenborough actually won the Oscar for directing "Gandhi." He beat out Steven Spielberg (nominated for "E.T.") who later cast him as the owner of the dinosaurs in "Jurassic Park" (1993).

Lieutenant John Dunbar in "Dances with Wolves" (1990). The part was played by the director-producer-financial backer Kevin Costner, but who was originally cast?

Viggo Mortenson. No studios wanted to make this film so Costner had to put up his own money and he wound up winning oscars for both directing and producing and making millions. Still, it would've been a very different movie if Aragorn from "The Lord of the Rings" Trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003) had played the role.

Forrest Gump in "Forrest Gump" (1994). Tom Hanks will forever be remembered as this slow-witted, good-hearted southerner, but who was considered before him?

Bill Murray. Imagine Carl Spackler [Murray's role in "Caddyshack" (1980)] as Forrest Gump. Gary Sinise played Lietenant Dan in "Forrest Gump." Robert Duvall played shut-in and suspected nutcase Boo Radley in "To Kill A Mockingbird" (1962). Cliff Robertson played (and won an Oscar for) Charly Gordon in "Charly" (1968) based on the novel "Flowers for Algernon" about a retarded adult who, after an experiment, becomes highly intelligent. The same experiment was performed on a retarded mouse named Algernon.

Jack Dawson in "Titanic" (1997). The role that made Leonardo DiCaprio an international star was originally intended for which actor? [Note: it was the studio who wanted someone else, not the director]

Matthew McConaughey. The director won that battle and made Leo the "king of the world." Incidentally, Gwyneth Paltrow was offered the role of Rose DeWitt Bukater that eventually went to Kate Winslett. "Titanic" is the highest grossing film in history.