Movie Star Roles that Almost Happened, Part 2 Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In the 1969 movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" the role of The Sundance Kid was played by Robert Redford. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: He was in "The Great Escape.")

Answer: Steve McQueen

Steve McQueen was offered and accepted the role of Sundance, but the negotiations for his contract got down to the billing: whose name would go first, McQueen or Paul Newman (he played Butch Cassidy)? Both actors were major stars at that time. After McQueen pulled out, the part was offered to a rising young actor named Robert Redford. Jack Lemmon, Marlon Brando, and Warren Beatty were also considered for the role of Sundance. Dustin Hoffman was considered for the role of Butch.

2. In the 1997 movie "Titanic" the role of artist and third-class passenger Jack Dawson was played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: He was in "The Wedding Planner," "U-571" and "Dazed and Confused.")

Answer: Matthew McConaughey

Both Macaulay Culkin and Matthew McConaughey were considered for the role of Jack Dawson. The role of Rose (played in the movie by Kate Winslet) was initially offered to Gwyneth Paltrow. A grave marked "J. Dawson" in Fairview Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (where many Titanic victims are buried) is often adorned with flowers and other items by the movie's fans.

Although Jack Dawson was a fictional character, there was an actual Titanic crew member with the name Joseph Dawson, age 23, from Ireland who worked on the Titanic as a coal trimmer (a person who shoveled coal to the firemen at the furnaces, while keeping the coal piles on a level plateau so that no imbalances threatened the trim, or even keel, of the ship).

He perished in the sinking, but his body was recovered (number 227) and he was buried in Canada in May 1912.

His body was finally identified with his National Sailors and Firemen's union card. In the 1998 Academy Awards, "Titanic" won eleven Oscars, including ones for Best Picture and Best Original Song for "My Heart Will Go On," performed by C�line Dion.

3. In the 1984 movie "The Terminator" the role of the futuristic, cyborg killer was played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: He was in "The Terminator," but played Detective Vukovich.)

Answer: Lance Henriksen

Lance Henriksen was originally cast as the Terminator, with Arnold Schwarzenegger cast as the hero. After Schwarzenegger read the script, he asked to play the Terminator instead. Henriksen stayed in the movie, but played Detective Vukovich instead. Former pro football star O.J. Simpson was also considered for the role of the Terminator, but the movie's producers feared he wouldn't be taken seriously.

4. In the 1990 movie "Pretty Woman" the role of wealthy businessman Edward Lewis, who specialized in taking over and breaking up companies, was played by Richard Gere. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: He was in several "Superman" movies.)

Answer: Christopher Reeve

Christopher Reeve was originally considered for the role of Edward. He is perhaps best known to movie buffs for playing Superman in four movies in the '70s and '80s. He was paralyzed in a horse riding accident in May 1995. Molly Ringwald was originally offered the role of prostitute Vivian 'Viv' Ward (played by Julia Roberts) but turned it down. Julia Roberts was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar at the 1991 Academy Awards for her performance, but lost to Kathy Bates in the 1990 movie "Misery."

5. In the 1990 movie "The Hunt for Red October" the role of Russian sub commander Captain Marko Ramius was played by Sean Connery. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: He was in "Out of Africa.")

Answer: Klaus Maria Brandauer

Klaus Maria Brandauer was originally cast as Cpt. Marko Ramius. Kevin Costner was originally cast as CIA analyst Jack Ryan (played in this movie by Alec Baldwin). In two later movies based on Tom Clancy novels, Harrison Ford would play the part of Jack Ryan: "Clear and Present Danger" (1994) and "Patriot Games" (1992).

In the 2002 movie "The Sum of All Fears" (also based on a Tom Clancy novel), Jack Ryan was played by Ben Affleck.

6. In the 1978 movie "The Deer Hunter" the role of steelworker and Vietnam War soldier Michael Vronsky was played by Robert DeNiro. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: He was in "Jaws.")

Answer: Roy Scheider

Roy Scheider was originally cast as Michael. Jon Voight played a paralyzed veteran from the Vietnam War in another 1978 movie, "Coming Home." In the 1979 Academy Awards, Robert DeNiro was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role, but lost to Jon Voight in "Coming Home." "The Deer Hunter" won the Oscar for Best Picture.

7. In the 1980 movie "Ordinary People" the role of psychiatrist Dr. Tyrone C. Berger was played by Judd Hirsch. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: He was in "The French Connection.")

Answer: Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman was originally cast as Dr. Berger, but had to quit the movie. Judd Hirsch was then selected to fill the role, but he insisted on the condition that he could complete the filming of his scenes in just eight days. That was so as not to interfere with his schedule on the American TV series "Taxi." This movie was Robert Redford's directorial debut. He won the Oscar for Best Director in the 1981 Academy Awards.

8. In the 2001 movie "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" the role of warrior Aragorn was played by Viggo Mortensen. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: He was in "Trapped," "Queen of the Damned" and "About Adam.")

Answer: Stuart Townsend

Stuart Townsend was originally cast as Aragorn, but was felt to be too young for the part (he was 23) and was replaced by Viggo Mortensen after just four days of shooting. Mortensen played Aragorn in all three "Lord of the Rings" movies. Mortensen's teenaged son, Henry, is a huge J.R.R. Tolkien fan (the movie is based on his novel), and when he found out about the offer for his dad to play the part told his dad "you have to do it."

9. In the 1967 movie "The Graduate" the role of new college graduate Benjamin Braddock was played by Dustin Hoffman. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: He was in "The Sting.")

Answer: Robert Redford

Robert Redford and Charles Grodin were both originally considered for the part of Benjamin. Redford turned down the part because he thought he could not act as sexually naive as was required. Grodin's deal fell apart following a disagreement over salary. Doris Day, Jeanne Moreau, and Patricia Neal all turned down the role of Mrs. Robinson (which was played by Anne Bancroft). Bancroft was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar at the 1968 Academy Awards for her performance, but lost to Katharine Hepburn in the 1967 movie "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner." The shapely leg seen in poster ads for "The Graduate" belonged to Linda Gray (who later achieved stardom in the American TV series "Dallas").

10. In the 1961 movie "Splendor in the Grass" the role of 1920s' teenager Wilma "Deanie" Loomis was played by Natalie Wood. Which of these Hollywood figures was also considered for the role? (Hint: She was in "On Golden Pond.")

Answer: Jane Fonda

Lee Remick was also considered for the role of Deanie. In real life, Natalie Wood had an intense fear of drowning. Filming the bathtub scene where she deliberately submerged herself after crying "No ma, he didn't spoil me!" must have been very hard for her to do. Ironically, she died prematurely (at age 43) by drowning.

This movie was Warren Beatty's film debut (he played Bud Stamper, the boy Deanie was crazy about). The film's title comes from a poem by William Wordsworth, "Though nothing can bring back splendor in the grass/glory among the flowers/we will grieve not for what is lost/but find strength in what remains behind."

Source: Author root17

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor skunkee before going online.
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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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