Would "The Shining" have been anywhere near as terrifying if the JACK NICHOLSON role had been played by ROBIN WILLIAMS? Because that almost happened.
Believe it or not, Robin was considered for the role before Jack got it. That kind of thing happens all the time. Here's a list of movies that could have been a lot different than they ended up . . .
KELLY MCGILLIS from "Top Gun" was considered for the leg-spreading role in "Basic Instinct", before it eventually went to SHARON STONE.
VAL KILMER was considered for PATRICK SWAYZE'S role in "Dirty Dancing".
MOLLY RINGWALD could have been the star of "Pretty Woman", but she turned the part down. Obviously, it went to JULIA ROBERTS.
MICHELLE PFEIFFER could have had JODIE FOSTER'S role in "Silence of the Lambs". She turned it down because of the violence.
TOM SELLECK would have been Indiana Jones if he hadn't been committed to "Magnum P.I." at the time.
(--By the way . . . George Lucas didn't want Harrison Ford for the part . . . because he'd already used him in "American Graffiti" and the "Star Wars" movies.)
EWAN MCGREGOR turned down the part of Neo in "The Matrix" to play Obi-Wan Kenobi in the "Star Wars" prequels.
MEL GIBSON turned down the lead in "Gladiator".
SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR gave ALICIA SILVERSTONE a break by passing on "Clueless".
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY was the first choice to play Jack in "Titanic".
JOHN TRAVOLTA turned down "Forrest Gump".
TOM CRUISE could have been Iron Man . . . but he turned it down because of issues with the script.
