Questions tagged [casting]
Questions concerning the cast of a film or show.
248
questions
141
votes
7
answers
31k
views
Why cast an A-lister for Groot?
I'm currently watching Guardians of the Galaxy on Netflix and as we know, Vin Diesel played Groot.
The question. What's the point?
I mean. Groot has a distorted voice, only says "I'm Groot" and ...
- 1,703
75
votes
5
answers
46k
views
What rules govern how TV show opening credits are structured?
I've always been curious what decides if a credit is in the opening or closing credits. It seems loosely that cast (in order of today's "big name" significance), directors and financiers get the ...
- 1,409
68
votes
2
answers
8k
views
Switch in *The Matrix* - Two Actors?
Recently I found an article quoting an IMDb Factoid that the character Switch in The Matrix was supposed to be played by two actors, one male and one female:
When Belinda McClory auditioned for ...
- 26.4k
58
votes
3
answers
13k
views
How do they phrase casting calls when casting an individual with a particular skin color?
This is a bit of a questionable question, but I am curious.
When filmmakers hire actors for a movie/show that has a focus on skin color, and they need actors with a particular skin color to take the ...
- 884
50
votes
8
answers
10k
views
Why does Hollywood not use foreigners in foreigners' roles?
This is a question that bothers me for a really long time. For example, Russians in every (not literally, but you get the point) Hollywood movies/TVshows are acted by English-speaking actors. It is ...
- 325
48
votes
2
answers
51k
views
Why did three actors play Darth Vader?
In the original Star Wars movies (IV, V, and VI) three actors ended up playing Darth Vader. David Prowse was the actual physical body for the most part, James Earl Jones was used for the voice, and ...
- 33.5k
46
votes
3
answers
14k
views
Why didn't Hugo Weaving reprise his role as Red Skull?
In the movie Avengers: Infinity War, Ross Marquand played the role of Red Skull, even though Hugo Weaving played the role initially in Captain America: The First Avenger.
Why did they replace Weaving ...
- 1,650
44
votes
1
answer
8k
views
Why have this character involved in Infinity War at all?
Taking this question from another perspective:
Since
[Out-of-universe] Hugo Weaving was not willing to take back his role as Red Skull
[In-universe] and it seems that any generic ominous figure with ...
- 1,304
42
votes
1
answer
22k
views
Who voices the character "Finger" in The Fifth Element?
In The Fifth Element, the main character Korben Dallas talks on the phone with someone named Finger - an old military friend who also happens to be Korben's boss at the taxi company.
We never see the ...
- 6,395
42
votes
4
answers
86k
views
In opening credits for TV shows, why does it say 'with so and so' for some actors?
I am thinking of Ally McBeal in particular. For the entire run of the show the opening credits generally had clips of a character and the name of the actor that plays them. The final two actors (Peter ...
- 421
41
votes
4
answers
11k
views
Why don't they align actor & actress names with their photos in film posters?
I've always wondered why they don't do this properly. It seems wrong to me to place a different name on top of an actor's/actress' photo.
Why don't they align actor & actress names with their ...
- 6,253
41
votes
3
answers
11k
views
Why was Prowse chosen to play Darth Vader?
Everybody knows that David Prowse played Darth Vader in the old Star Wars episodes. He was a weightlifting champion and a bodybuilder.
Does anybody know who and why actually chose him to play this ...
- 3,801
41
votes
1
answer
7k
views
Is McConaughey's anecdote about not memorizing a four-page monologue real?
In Variety's 2016 ‘actors on actors’ interview of Matthew McConaughey (around 19 mins), he tells an anecdote wherein he arrived on set having not learnt a 4 page monologue in Spanish.
He says his ...
- 734
40
votes
6
answers
13k
views
Top-billed actor with the least screen time
What is the least amount of screen time, relative to the total running length, that the single highest-billed actor (or actress) has ever had in a feature-length, non-experimental film? (For the ...
- 2,084
38
votes
1
answer
10k
views
Why is Pablo Escobar not speaking proper Spanish?
I am watching the series Narcos in the original language. This means that Pablo Escobar's voice, among others, is in Spanish.
From the very beginning, his accent sounded very strange to me, not ...
- 754
36
votes
2
answers
243k
views
Why did Lisa Edelstein not return for the final season of House?
With the ending of House, a lot of cast members returned to their roles in order to give some sort of closure either to their story or even just as more character development to House.
However, the ...
- 34.8k
35
votes
10
answers
11k
views
What was the first tv show that successfully continued after losing a co-star from an established pair of characters?
It's getting to be the end of this year's cycle of tv seasons and there have been a few shake-ups announced on some shows.
Both Sleepy Hollow and Castle were built on the pairing of a couple and now ...
- 806
33
votes
3
answers
7k
views
Do A-listers audition for roles?
It is normal for new actors who haven't proven themselves to audition for roles in movies. But What about A-listers like Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, etc. Do these guys still attend auditions or are scripts ...
32
votes
4
answers
5k
views
Are Sean Bean's characters more prone to die than others?
An image making the rounds on the Internet claims that
Since 1986, Sean Bean has died in over 20 films and TV productions.
He has been brutally killed by
bow and arrows, handgun, revolver, shotgun, ...
- 4,687
32
votes
1
answer
5k
views
For which future movies did Stan Lee finish his cameo?
Now we all know the great Stan Lee is no more. I am wondering if he has already finished cameos for future Marvel or other movies.
- 431
32
votes
5
answers
102k
views
Why are some actors uncredited in certain films?
Eli Wallach appears in Mystic River. Olivia Williams plays a role in X-Men: The Last Stand. However, neither of them (according to IMDb) is credited in the movie. These two instances are simply ...
- 18.1k
32
votes
1
answer
14k
views
Why didn't Arnold Schwarzenegger appear in Predator 2?
As per Wikipedia Predator 2 is a 1990 American science fiction action-horror film written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, directed by Stephen Hopkins,
As we know, Predator (1987) was a huge hit at ...
user34693
31
votes
1
answer
5k
views
Did Michael Shannon appear in Batman v Superman, or was it just CGI?
In "Batman vs Superman", the character Zod appears briefly as a corpse. Actor Michael Shannon - who portrayed Zod in "Man of Steel" - is credited as Zod, but in the actual cameo his face looks a ...
- 3,263
29
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Are Movie Stars typically forbidden from appearing in future commercials resembling a played character?
Maybe no one around here would know the answer to this, or maybe it varies wildly, but I'm curious to know whether or not it's typical for movie stars to be forbidden from resembling the character ...
- 1,389
27
votes
7
answers
8k
views
Is this the biggest age gap between romantic leads where the actress is the older?
The Lost City stars Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum as the romantic leads. The movie was filmed in 2021. Sandra Bullock was born on July 26, 1964 and Channing Tatum was born on April 26, 1980, ...
- 4,955
27
votes
2
answers
15k
views
Why is Christian Bale not in the upcoming movie Batman vs Superman?
This is about the upcoming Zack Snyder movie Batman vs Superman, where Ben Affleck is playing Batman. I just read an article that Christian Bale wanted to be Batman again. So I wanted to ask why wasn'...
- 22.3k
26
votes
2
answers
7k
views
Was Deborah Voorhees cast due to her surname?
In Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, the character of Tina is portrayed by an actress named Deborah Voorhees. She coincidentally shares the same surname (even spelled the same) as Jason Voorhees, who ...
- 27.7k
25
votes
2
answers
7k
views
Was Wayne Brady considered a guest star on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"
The show Whose Line Is It Anyway? had a run which aired for 8 seasons from 1999-2008. Each episode had 4 comedians doing improv. Two of them were always Collin Mocherie and Ryan Stiles, of the other ...
- 30.7k
25
votes
3
answers
8k
views
What is the major reason for casting Heath Ledger as The Joker?
What could be the major factor that convinced the casting directors of The Dark Knight to decide that Heath Ledger will play The Joker's role?
- 1,069
24
votes
2
answers
34k
views
Why has the role of Bruce Banner been played by different actors in the three films that Hulk has appeared in?
Hulk (2003)
Eric Bana
Bruce Banner
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Edward Norton
Bruce Banner
The Avengers (2012)
Mark Ruffalo
Bruce Banner
Is there any reason why different actors are used in different ...
- 351
24
votes
2
answers
334k
views
Why didn't Katie Holmes play Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight?
Katie Holmes played Rachel Dawes in Batman Begins but Maggie Gyllenhall played the character in The Dark Knight.
Was there any particular reason why Katie Holmes didn't continue on in the role?
- 10.2k
23
votes
2
answers
7k
views
Why didn't Terrence Howard play Jim Rhodes (Rhodey) in Iron Man 2?
Terrence Howard played Rhodey in Iron Man but Don Cheadle played the character in Iron Man 2.
Was there any particular reason why Terrence Howard didn't continue on in the role?
- 10.2k
21
votes
3
answers
5k
views
What is the record for siblings from a single family in a film?
I was wondering if there's a movie that can beat Scrooged (1988) in terms of sibling actors starring in it - it starred Bill Murray, Brian Doyle-Murray, Joel Murray and John Murray.
To narrow it: (...
user27684
20
votes
1
answer
29k
views
Why are twins often cast for young roles?
I've seen it many times. Very young identical twins cast for the same role. Off the top of my head:
Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen in Full House.
Dylan Thomas Sprouse and Cole Mitchell Sprouse in Big ...
- 32.1k
19
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Lead actor/actress VS Supporting actor/actress
On what basis, Chris Hemsworth is considered as a Lead actor in the movie Rush?
In the movie, both characters have equal importance and both narrated the story in equal measure and occupied same ...
- 7,838
19
votes
1
answer
151k
views
Why are there three different actors playing Gregor Clegane?
I happened onto the IMDB trivia which mentioned that the current actor is the youngest and shortest one to portray The Mountain, which lead me to this entry in Wikipedia:
...he is portrayed by ...
- 3,394
18
votes
1
answer
20k
views
Why was Spencer Fox replaced by Huck Milner as Dashiell "Dash" Parr in Incredibles 2?
Incredibles 2 is released and I noticed that Huck Milner did the voice for Dashiell "Dash" Parr in the movie. In the first film The Incredibles, Spencer Fox was the one to voice the character.
Why ...
- 10.1k
18
votes
1
answer
835
views
Did Spielberg plan on having Lao Che return in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull?
Lao Che is a Chinese gangster in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, played by Roy Chiao. The Wikipedia section on the character has the following unsourced section:
Before the death of Roy Chiao,...
- 15.8k
17
votes
1
answer
7k
views
What is a chemistry test?
In the context of casting for a movie, what is a chemistry test and how is it performed?
- 1,030
16
votes
2
answers
18k
views
Why was Hugh Laurie credited as a Guest star in Friends?
I recently watched the episode The One with Ross's Wedding: Part Two of Friends, in which Hugh Laurie has a minor role. I noticed that he is mentioned in the credits as a Guest star.
As a French ...
- 583
16
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Who were the choices for the leading role in Total Recall (1990)?
The wiki article for Total Recall (1990) states that Patrick Swayze was originally attached to the film. I could swear that somewhere I heard a few other names were originally planned for the lead ...
- 59.6k
16
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Have there been other candidates to play Jack Reacher?
First, let me emphasize that this is not about the highly subjective question whether or not Tom Cruise should play Jack Reacher.
Lee Child's novel One Shot is being turned into a movie. Tom Cruise ...
- 2,799
15
votes
6
answers
3k
views
Has an actor ever played a woman, or an actress a man, in a non-comedic/horror way?
I'm looking for good and/or early example(s) of a movie in which a male actor plays a female part (or vice versa), where the gender-switch isn't used to enact comedic or horror elements.
Robin ...
- 14.2k
15
votes
2
answers
6k
views
Does AMC have some kind of linkage/negotiation with the British entertainment industry?
Recently I've noticed that the original programming output from AMC seems to feature what I consider to be a disproportionate amount of British talent - a distinction that is amplified by the fact ...
- 38.5k
15
votes
2
answers
6k
views
Portrayals of emaciated people in WW2 dramas
In the Band Of Brothers (HBO TV series) episode "Why We Fight" there is a plotline about the liberation of a concentration camp. There are many (highly disturbing) scenes showing portrayals of ...
- 151
14
votes
2
answers
7k
views
Is Ewan McGregor in The Force Awakens? If so, what was his role?
I read somewhere that Ewan McGregor was in The Force Awakens, but no mention of his role. Was it just a cameo, or some other part? Was he actually in the film?
- 167
14
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Why were so many inexperienced actors hired for lead roles in Game of Thrones?
On one hand you've got some very seasoned actors like Sean Bean, Lena Headey and Natalia Tena who have been in other TV series as well as some big Hollywood films.
And on the other hand you've got ...
- 19.9k
14
votes
1
answer
8k
views
Why wasn't Kurt Russell cast in SG1?
Why did Kurt Russell not reprise his role as Colonel O'Neil (one L) in the spin-off series for Stargate?
From Showtime's treatment of season 1's take on the character Colonel O'Neill (two Ls), there ...
- 67.8k
14
votes
1
answer
9k
views
Who portrayed Ray Finkle in the file photo?
In Ace Ventura, Pet Detective, which actor portrayed Ray Finkle in the Miami Dolphins team photo of Finkle in his football uniform?
- 4,450
14
votes
2
answers
2k
views
First appearance of a predominately black cast in a TV show
I was watching MeTV the other day, which is a fantastic station chock-full of old-time TV shows. In one sitting I saw episodes of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Rifleman and Star Trek (TOS). So ...
- 59.6k