Famous Roles That Should Have Been Turned Down

[samkydd]

Some actors don't look comfortable in certain roles, a bit like when Sven plays so many England players out of position all the time. A famous one I suppose is George Lazenby as 007, but Sean Connery was a very hard act to follow so I suppose we should blame the film makers not George! After all would any of us have turned it down? From Big Fry to James Bond in one leap would be too hard to resist!



One that springs to mind from the 1970s was Albert Finney as Poirot on Murder on the Orient Express. I don't know why but it was just awful and his Poirot spoilt what could have been a good film.



Another one was Clive Owen in that recent King Arthur load of old codswallap. The only thing he looks comfortable in is a 1980s shell suit and a white transit van!



There must be hundreds but you'd all know better than me.

[arty-dave]

(samkydd @ Nov 8 2005, 02:23 PM) Albert Finney as Poirot on Murder on the Orient Express. I don't know why but it was just awful and his Poirot spoilt what could have been a good film.

Agreed.

[samkydd]

(samkydd @ Nov 8 2005, 02:23 PM)

Some actors don't look comfortable in certain roles, a bit like when Sven plays so many England players out of position all the time. A famous one I suppose is George Lazenby as 007, but Sean Connery was a very hard act to follow so I suppose we should blame the film makers not George! After all would any of us have turned it down? From Big Fry to James Bond in one leap would be too hard to resist!



One that springs to mind from the 1970s was Albert Finney as Poirot on Murder on the Orient Express. I don't know why but it was just awful and his Poirot spoilt what could have been a good film.



Another one was Clive Owen in that recent King Arthur load of old codswallap. The only thing he looks comfortable in is a 1980s shell suit and a white transit van!



There must be hundreds but you'd all know better than me.

John Hannah, Reece Dinsdale in everything they've been in so far.

[foha80]

One that springs to mind from the 1970s was Albert Finney as Poirot on Murder on the Orient Express. I don't know why but it was just awful and his Poirot spoilt what could have been a good film.

Oh yes,It made the film nearly unwatchable,Don't know what he was basing Poirot on but it certainly was not the books

[emma w]

sean connery in highlander... spaniard!?!?!?!

[jacobean]

I often thought that Lazenby was unfairly slated. He hadn't really had long enough in the role to prove himself. No-one really has given a straight answer for Lazenby's short career as Bond. Some say he was sacked by the producers, others (including Lazenby) say he didn't like the role.



Forgot to post last time, but in answer to the thread what about Michael Caine in Jaws 4??

He joked once that he did it to pay for an extension on his house or something.

[Crimson]

Michael Caine said "I haven't seen the film but I've seen the house it bought".

[Mr Cosmo]

Hi Sam and Dave - did you 2 guys ever sing together? - and others.



I always preferred the Albert Finney performance in ORIENT EXPRESS to Peter Ustinov's performance in the later 1970s films as I thought he really nailed the character's eccentricities. I think David Suchet has done an excellent job and possibly the poorest Poirot was Tony Randall in THE ALPHABET MURDERS in 1965. (I never saw Austin Trevor - the first film Poirot in the role, so I can't compare - but he does make a cameo in the Tony Randall film.)



Many Bond fans think that ON HER MAJESTYS SECRET SERVICE is the best Bond film and I think George Lazenby did a very good job although it was almost impossible to take over from Sean Connery who defined the character so clearly. I could always imagine Connery or Lazenby killing someone - but I could never imagine Roger Moore doing that.



Roles that should have been turned down - Jean Shrimpton should not have been allowed on set in PRIVILEGE as she couldn't act at all, Mick Jagger I never saw as NED KELLY but am advised that inadvertant laughter was heard at cinemas when his film was shown, and on a personal note, I can't believe Pat Boone played a Glaswegian in JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH and keeps referring to it as "Glasgee". (I actually shuddered as I typed that!)



Good topic. I'm sure I'll think about someone else as soon as I sign out...

[Steve Crook]

name='emma w']sean connery in highlander... spaniard!?!?!?!

Sean Connery in The Untouchables ... Irish!?!?!?!



Steve

[Wolfgang]

Sean Connery in The Hunt For Red October... Russian!?!?!?!

[Harbottle]

Sean Connery in anything... !?!?!

[Steve Crook]

name='Harbottle']Sean Connery in anything... !?!?!

Oh no. He was good in some films like, errm, let me think now, I'm sure I'll think of one soon ...



But when he tries those accents he's particularly dire.

When you hire Sean you should be prepared to accept Sean's normal, odd, accent.



Steve

[ChristineCB]

There's nothing wrong with his plain old accent. I have always known every Soviet spoke English with his accent.

[D Cairns]

My Japanese friend was interested to see Connery in RISING SUN: "I wonder if he will have an Osaka accent, because people in Osaka shpeak like thish."



But after he saw it, his response was: "Sean Connery's Japanese accent f***ing crap!"



I like the way all the outlaws in ROBIN AND MARIAN have Scottish accents to blend in with him.

[A Pemberton]

name='Steve Crook']Oh no. He was good in some films like, errm, let me think now, I'm sure I'll think of one soon .



Steve

Why all this fuss about scottish or irish accents, Mr Connery is a Jamiacan or is it Bermudian(?) citizen,he is a fine actor ,he just went slightly awry when Hollywood employed him,If you want connery post Bond at his best watch THE NAME OF THE ROSE or even THE HILL(mid Bond) ,THE NAME OF THE ROSE is a beautiful piece of cinema.

[Pegasus]

Lawrence Harvey appeared as Joe Lampton in Room at The Top in 1959 and I have never in my entire life heard such a god awful attempt at a north of England accent. There were very few working class actors about at the time. The likes of Albert Finney and Tom Cortney were only just emerging. After all, Harvey was a plummy theatre darling when all said and done.

[Joenoir]

name='Pegasus']Lawrence Harvey appeared as Joe Lampton in Room at The Top in 1959 and I have never in my entire life heard such a god awful attempt at a north of England accent. There were very few working class actors about at the time. The likes of Albert Finney and Tom Cortney were only just emerging. After all, Harvey was a plummy theatre darling when all said and done.

Accent apart, I thought he was brilliant in the part.

[batman]

name='Joenoir']Accent apart, I thought he was brilliant in the part.

Me too. I have just got my hands on a copy of Life at the Top which I have not seen for years, so I am looking forward to that. After that it will be real Yorkshireman Kenneth Haigh in Man at the Top. It's Lampton week in the Batcave.

[billy bentley]

Far away from Connery-Lazenby-Bond et al - I think Kris Kristofferson (?) should have turned down everything I've seen him in. Both "Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid' and "Heavens Gate" were severely damaged by his presence. I'm sure he is a nice fellow, but he cannot hold the screen at all.

[James Fox]

name='billy bentley']Far away from Connery-Lazenby-Bond et al - I think Kris Kristofferson (?) should have turned down everything I've seen him in. Both "Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid' and "Heavens Gate" were severely damaged by his presence. I'm sure he is a nice fellow, but he cannot hold the screen at all.

I agree. Kris wrote some very good songs, but as an actor he's pretty poor.