Alternate casting

We're suckers for articles about the other actors who were almost cast in famous parts. Some of these we know well, some of them are a little more obscure. For instance, the story of W.C. Fields playing the Wizard of Oz is not only famous, but also inevitable. Anyone who knows Fields's work has to imagine that he would have been perfect in the role. It all boiled down to money, leaving Frank Morgan to take on the part (which he did quite well, as it turned out). Shirley Temple was MGM's choice to play Dorothy, but her studio wouldn't make a deal with them. Why give away your biggest star to the competition? Come to think of it, Buddy Epsen was originally cast to play the Tin Man, but he was practically killed by the original makeup, and Gale Sondergaard was the first choice for the W.W. of the West, but she was too gorgeous, and she refused to play ugly. Oh, well. Lots of movies don't come together exactly as planned, but it doesn't seem to matter in the end.

For more recastings, check out Iconic Movie Roles That Were Almost Played by Other Actors.