- Jon Voight, Midnight Cowboy, 1968. The only American X-rated production to win a Best Picture, Adapted Script and Director Oscars. Plus nominations for the three stars, Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight and Sylvia Miles. . And yet an UA suit once suggested: “If we could clean this up and add a few songs, it could be a great vehicle for Elvis!”Well, having secretly obtained copies of the script, both Elvis and Warren Beatty were determined to play the street hustler Joe Buck. No way, said UK director John Schlesinger. “You’re too well known to play a dishwasher who lives in New York and fucks a lot of women.” Elvis made Change of Habit (aka Elvis and The Nun!) instead – and quit movies as he was never allowed to stretch. The unknown Harrison Ford and Kiel Martin (from TV’s The Virginian) tested for Joe., So did London’s Hoboken actor Stuart Copper, future director of 27 movies. Lee Majors won Joe but was suddenly his Western series, The Big Valley, was renewed. And so Canadian Michel Sarrazin became Buck – until Universal, where he was contracted, wanted more money for him. Enter: Jon Voight, having by now worked on his Texan accent enough. For the French language release, Voight was dubbed by rising French star Patrick Dewaere. The unknown Martin (not known then as being Larry Hagman’s step-brother) wed Dean Martin’s daughter, Claudia, and joined TV’s Hill Street Blues and LA Law.
Birth year: 1944Death year: 1990Other name: Casting Calls: 1