There are a lot of stories out there that would make people guffaw with laughter when it comes to how actors got their roles…or recoil in confusion since some of them are just downright strange. But when it comes to nabbing the role of a lifetime a lot of people are bound to do whatever they need to in order to make sure that they get the role, especially if it’s something that they know they’d regret if they didn’t try for it. In some cases, though one has to wonder just how far a person would go for a role and why in the world they would agree to certain conditions when it feels as though they’re being asked to make a fool of themselves. Of course with some folks, the shame of not getting the part would far outstrip the shame that might last for a short period of time and be easy to weather when it comes to what they’re being asked to do. It’s a game of give and take obviously, and those that can give that much of themselves usually end up being those that end up taking the roles they want.
Here are just a few things that actors had to do to get their roles.
5. George Lazenby had to prove he wasn’t gay to get the part of James Bond.
One has to recall that Lazenby was trying to step into some big shoes when it came to being James Bond since the character is larger than life and the way that he was played by Sean Connery was a lot to live up to. But as a male model and a heterosexual man, it still wasn’t enough since the producers wanted to keep the image of James Bond as sacrosanct as they could, meaning he still had to be a ladies man and had to be the charming rogue that was able to prove his masculinity in certain ways. This led to a small parade of women being thrown at Lazenby just to see how he ‘performed’, as the rumors go.
4. Kiera Knightley had to be convincing with her sex faces over Skype.
This wouldn’t be too bad since if a person had no qualms about acting to get the role it’s all well and good. But imagine what might happen when Skype, which isn’t perfect, unfortunately, decides to freeze up when a person is pulling a face or trying to say something. It looks pretty silly to say the least, but in the middle of what might be described as an O-face, it could be absolutely humiliating to those that don’t know how to offer a comeback to the comments that would be forthcoming. But thankfully Kiera appears to be the type of person that wasn’t too fazed by this kind of thing.
3. Harvey Stevens had to attack Richard Donner to get his role.
Harvey had a cameo as a different character in the second Omen movie, but he didn’t continue his career after that apparently. Richard Donner was looking for kids that could throw a convincing tantrum though, and when he asked Harvey to attack him, the kid went berserk and even resorted to kicking Donner in the nay-nays, convincing Donner that he was the right kid for the role. Normally if you kick a guy in the pills the reaction is pain and eventual anger, but obviously Donner was ready for what was going to come since he told Harvey to die his hair black and get ready for the part.
2. Shelley Winters had to gain weight for The Poseidon Adventure.
This is something that a lot of actors can possibly relate to since losing any weight that’s gained for a movie is a serious chore to try and get off again since weight is easily gained but almost never easily lost unless one is dedicated enough to make it happen. Poor Shelley fought the weight for a long time after this however and despite the fact that it wasn’t as substantial as it could be, the struggle was still one that didn’t appear to be worth the effort.
1. Marlon Brando had to do a few things to become Don Vito Corleone.
Marlon wasn’t the first choice for the role of Don Corleone apparently, but Coppola was pushing for him all the same as he had Brando stuff his cheeks, use black shoe polish under his eyes, drink espresso, and do various other things to convince those that needed convincing that he was, in fact, the right person for the role. To think that Jack Nicholson was being considered for this role makes it obvious that The Godfather could have been a very different movie at one point, especially since, if anyone’s paying attention, Jack Nicholson became a very different crime boss in The Departed many years later.
How many other interesting stories do you think are out there?
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