I've just read an article in a UK movie magazine about the top movie miscastings. Among others they cite:

Val Kilmer as Batman in 'Batman Forever'
George Lazenby as James Bond in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'
and top was John Wayne as Gengis Khan in the 1956 movie 'The Conqueror'

I always thought that Keanu Reeves as Don Jon in the 1993 movie of 'Much Ado About Nothing' was pretty bad.(he figures in the list too)

What are your 'favourite' miscastings?

[ 04-26-2002, 02:54 PM: Message edited by: monkeycouzin ]

Kevin Costner as Robin Hood is really, really bad - Mr No Personality or what.

Andie MacDowell in 4 Weddings.... - totally unlovable.

I will think on the rest, but there must be loads. I'm a bit distracted 'cos there's a Monty Python film on.

hmmmmm..yes, amberg and couzin, those were All bad casting!!!

And poor ol' Dick Van Dyke as the Chimney Sweep in Mary Poppins--that Terrible Accent--I believe I could have carried it off better--and I talk like Elly Mae Clampett!!!

And I be darned, if he wasn't cast as the daddy in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang--with two lovely English children--and that wonderful Dad. Dick had the only American accent in the bunch. But at least he didn't attempt a Cockney acccent like in Mary Poppins.

I hate to say it, because I know I'm going to be attacked by his fans---but I've never seen Brad Pitt pull off any role. He made Harrison Ford look bad in The Devil's Own.

And my humble apologies, amberg, for saying this about our main man--but it brought tears to my tears to see Harrison so miscast in Random Hearts. It wasn't him as much as the soupy silly dialogue. A man that good-looking would have went right out and found somebody else!!!!

[ 04-26-2002, 05:30 PM: Message edited by: LindaC007 ]

Well my choice is clear....

The worst case of miscasting in the history of film has to be "Bonfire of the Vanities".

For anyone who has read the book by Tom Wolfe, you'll remember that the main character, Sherman, was a commanding, aristocratic blond man with a noble jaw. Who'd they cast? Well, Tom Hanks of course.

His mistress was supposed to be a dark haired, exotic seductress. Melanie Griffith, come on down!

Wolfe described Sherman's wife as a cold, razor-thin society type. Bombshell Kim Cattrall really fit that part, didn't she?.

Judge Kovitsky was a Jewish character in the book, an essential part of the storyline. Who did producers cast? African-American actor Morgan Freeman, of course.

For the next main character, the filmmakers needed someone to play the part of a caustic British journalist. Who could be more perfect than Bruce Willis?

This terrible corruption of the book should never have been allowed out of the film canister.

Kevin Costner in Dragofly, it was a good film, but it would have been so much better with a different actor.

LadyCaitriona, whilst I don't totally agree that Val Kilmer was miscast as Batman (that was the magazine's view) I have to say that I thought he was totally miscast as Simon Templar in 'The Saint'.

I don't have any feelings one way or the other, but Anne Rice-o-philes had a fit when Tom Cruise was cast as Lestat in "Interview with the Vampire".

This is more personal taste I guess, but the actor who played Carla's ex-husband on Cheers playing the role of captain in Alien Ressurrection just struck me as absurd.

Boosch

I think Harrison Ford in "What Lies Beneath" was miscast but maybe it was the movie that just didn't work.
ette

The worst, absolute worst casting I've ever seen was in 'The Outsiders.' In the book Dallas was supposed to be a pale blonde with lynx like ears and pointed teeth. Who was Dally in the movie? Matt Dillon! A handsome, dark haired boy! Where did that come from? Personally, I thought the only good parts in that movie were Patrick Swayze as Darry and Emilio Estevez as Two-Bit.

I also have another one I just CANNOT think of at the moment! I'll come up with it as soon as I don't need to....

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I must disagree. I thought Tom Cruise was wonderful in 'Interview With A Vampire.' Much better than Brad Pitt. But of course River Pheonix was supposed to have that part anyway....

"The old woman's got some life in her yet!"

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Nope, River Phoenix was supposed to play Malloy, the reporter. Christian Slater took over, and he later donated his salary to some found, I don't remember what it was. And besides, I thought that both - Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt - were really brilliant in the movie! I'm not saying this because I am a fan - actually I liked neither of them until I saw the "Interview".
I also thought that Val Kilmer was a great Simon Templar in "The Saint"... I didn't like him so much in "Batman Forever", but that's most likely because I never wanted to see any other Batman than Michael Keaton.

I thought that Denzel Washington didn't fit in the part of Lincoln Rhyme in "The Bone Collector". If you only watch the movie, it's okay, but if you read the novel... I don't know. I think Denzel is an excellent actor, but he just wasn't made for Rhyme. No. I'm really sad to say that...

Oops! Sorry! Better get my facts straight. I was looking on the internet in so many weird things and... oh well. Apologies.

But I still think Tom Cruise was the best in that whole movie.

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