Tag:Singer

Harvey Keitel, The Last Temptation of Christ, 1987.     During 1983 –  during the 16 years it took to film the Nikos Kazantzakis novel – the voice of The Kinks band  was selected as Judas Iscariot.  Two other singers  were involved at the time:  Sting as Pontius Pilate, Vanity for Mary Magdalene  Birth year: Death …
Continue reading Ray Davies

Queen Latifah, Hairspray, 2006.    Aretha auditioned for Motormouth Maybelle.  Billy Crystal, Madonna and Meryl Streep also lost  out on roles in the filmusical.  Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls:  1

  Emily Osment,  Hannah Montana, TV,  2006-2011.    First, there was Hilary Duff, then, Britney Spears. And then Disney launched a whole new teen girl idol when dropping Miley as Lily Truscott – and giving her the lead for five years with her wig’s fringe glued to her forehead. The new Lily is younger sister …
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Nicholas Duvauchelle, Maintenant ou jamais, France, 2013.     A concert tour got in the way when auteur Serge Frydman wanted the handsome singer-songwriter to share the romance with Leila Bekhti. Before turning to music, Benabar (the verlan slang for his original stage name, Barnabé)  had worked in cinema. He directed three shorts  during 1991-1994: …
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Jack Jones, The Comeback, 1977.       For his penultimate movie, UK schlocker Pete Walker aimed higher than School Fot Sex, Cool It Carol!, The Flesh and Blood Show, House of Whipcord, Schizo, etc.   He wanted Basinger or Melanie Griffith as the groupie involved with Roxy Music’s Ferry, Beatles drummer Ringo Starr or Cat …
Continue reading Bryan Ferry

  Chris Jagger, Lifeforce, 1984.     Robert Englund, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, 1989.        A bad motorcycle smash nearly wiped out Idol – and certainly meant he couldn’t play Smiley.Finnish director Renny Harlin called up Englund to take over – they’d got on well while making the fourthNightmare On Elm Street …
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Vanéese Y Thomas, Hercules, 1996.   Mel C was due for Clio, the Muse of History (aka The Muse With The Pony-Tail), when The Spice Girls were up for voicing all five Muses in the Disney toon (stolen with Robin Williams/Aladdin bravura by James Woods as Hades).  Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting …
Continue reading Melanie Chisholm

James Dunn,  A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, 1944.       After Mary Anderson, Jeanne Crain, Alice Faye and Gene Tierney were chased for Katie Nolan – her ne’er-do-well husband, Johnny, became  a battle royale  between Dunn, Regan and Fred MacMurray. Dunn tested twice and won, said Hollywood Reporter, “after all other possibilities had been abandoned …
Continue reading Phil Regan

Barbara Hershey, The Last Temptation of Christ, 1987.     During 1983 –  during the 16 years it took to film the Nikos Kazantzakis novel – the slinky chanteuse was selected as Mary Magdalene.   Butt was Barbara Hershey who gave Martin Scorsese the book as a gift during their Boxcar Bertha in 1971.  Birth …
Continue reading Vanity

Benay Venuta, Annie Get Your Gun, 1949.        Change of Dolly… while Annie, herself, was (among others) a battle of three Bettys – Garrett, Grable and, finally, Hutton. The musical’s opening number, Colonel Buffalo Bill, featured Frank Morgan as Bill and Wall as Dolly Tate. He died within days and Wall was dropped …
Continue reading Geraldine Wall

  Hayden Panettiere, A Bug’s Life, 1997.     Read for Princess Dot in Pixar’s insect take on The Seven Samurai/The Magnificent Seven as an ant village seeks help against marauding grasshoppers. Julia Louis-Dreyfuss and Kevin Spacey supplied other voices. Amanda Seyfried, Mean Girls, 2003.    Lost Karen to Amanda. No matter,   the High School …
Continue reading Ashley Tisdale

Joël Ferraty,  Hors-la-loi (Outlaws!), France, 1984.    Inspired by  Coppola’s Outsiders, realisteur Robin Davis, wanted unknowns. He told his casting director Dominque Besnehard: Find me a new James Dean and Natalie Wood.  Fifteen of them!  With four assistants for the first time, he put ads in papers and film magazines and combed through colleges, schools, …
Continue reading Joey Starr

  Pat Boone,  State Fair, 1962.     Auditioned.  And that’s all.   Well, Andy’s one big claim to movie fame was being booked to dub Lauren Bacall singing “How Little We Know” in To Have and Have Not, 1944.      Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls:  1

Dean Miller, Small Town Girl, 12953.   The C&W King known as “The hillbilly Shakespeare,” died from a drug and alcohol-related heart attack shortly before due to make his acting debut in this re-make of the 1936 James Stewart movie.  Birth year: 1923Death year: 1953Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls:  1

Brad Dourif,  London Kills Me, 1991.     After suggesting Bob Dylan, the US backers of scenarist and debuting director Hanif Kureishi offered Young.  “They thought the only way anyone was going to see this film would  be if you got a star playing this fucking part. A nightmare!”  Kureishi’s first scenario was My Beautiful …
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1. – Shani Wallais, Oliver!, 1967. After crazy Hollywood “thinking,” like Peter O’Toole and Elizabeth Taylor as Fagin and Nancy, director Lewis Gilbert (best known for Alfie/007) suggsted the original stage stars. The studio accepted Ron Moody (begrudingly) but preferred Wallis, a UK singer (slightly) better known in the US, to Brown. Gilbert tested them …
Continue reading Georgia Brown

1. –  Al Martino, The Godfather, 1971.    Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls:  1

Charlie Sheen, Deadfall, 1992.      For once, the great family friend was not free – to join the third movie from another Coppola: Francey’s auteur nephew, Nic Cage’s brother, Christopher, aka Biker Chief. Mojo Nixon, Super Mario Brothers, 1992.    The cowpubnk/psychobilly singer became Toad when Disney couldn’lt get Waits.  Mojo’s agnent thad pitched him …
Continue reading Tom Waits

1. – Michelle Pfeiffer, Batman Returns, 1991.  Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls:  1

Pat Carroll, The Little Mermaid, 1989.        “An answer to a prayer,” said Carroll on winning her lifetime’s ambition – voicing a Disney character.   Ursula had been designed for Bea Arthur – far too busy with The Golden Girls, 1985-1992. Next? Wilson, Divine ( at Disney ?!), Charlotte Rae, Roseanne and the Absolutely Fabulous …
Continue reading Nancy Wilson

Ewan McGregor, Moulin Rouge!  2001.    Early on, it was Heath Ledger and Catherine Zeta-Jones for Christian and Satine in the Baz Luhrmann musical extravaganza – the 1890s Paris shot in Sydney!. Well, he changed his mind.  Why have an Aussie bloke when an Aussie girl, Nicole Kidman, was obviously the perfect Satine.  And so …
Continue reading Tim Wheeler

The Yardbirds, Blow-Up, 1966.     No wonder the guitar bashing looked so familiar… That was far more a Who signature than that of the Yardbirds – in fhe movie and indeed, in one of their last gigs with Jeff Beck still aboard, after a Who dispute over money or royalties. Or both. The Velvet …
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  Jean Seberg, St. Joan, 1957.     Producer-director Otto Preminger could hardly be expected to remember any of the reputed 18,000girls he auditioned around the world. Or, not until a woman upbraided him. “My daughter auditioned and you did not give her the part. You – afamous director! You didn’t recognise talent when you …
Continue reading Barbra Streisand

1. – Billy Dee Williams, Lady Sings The Blues, 1972. Motown boss Berry Gordy  first saw the Four Tops’ lead singer for Louis McKay, but the group was touring Europe at the time.  So how come he never used him  in   other films when the tour was over? For the answer, see:  Dreamgirls, 2006. (Williams later …
Continue reading Levi Stubbs

Kris Kristofferson, Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid, 1972. Kris Kristofferson, A Star Is Born, 1976.    The Sweet Baby James singer  found filming (Monte Hellman’s Two-Lane Blacktop) torturous.  He had no wish to repeat the experience even though the 1973 draft of the re-make was written  for him.   KK took over. After Elvis passed.   Birth …
Continue reading James Taylor

  Ryan Gosling, The Notebook, 2004.    When Steven Spielberg was, as they say, attached, his two possibilities for Noah were Tom Cruise – and Justin Timberlake, whose wife,Jessica Biel, was among the Allie contenders. But new director Nick Cassavetes wanted a “not handsome” unknown.  Enter: Gosling, getting in the mood by moving to Charleston …
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Sue Lyon, Lolita, 1962.    Catherine Deneuve, Les parapluies de Cherbourg, France-West Germany, 1963.   French auteur Jacques Demy wanted her – opposite her newly wed husband,  rock idol Johnny Hallyday. “But they didn’t want to do it, neither one or the other.” Anna Karina, Pierrot la fou, France, 1965.   Bilious auteur Jean-Luc Godard  wanted …
Continue reading Sylvie Vartan

Madonna, Desperately Seeking Susan, 1985. Auditioned  for the main  Susan – director Susan Seidelman. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Miami Blues,  1988 The singer had been an early idea for ex-con Alec Baldwin’s girl, a hooker working her way through college. But as Chicago critic Roger Ebert put it, she’s slow to catch on  that conversation involves saying …
Continue reading Suzanne Vega

Sydney Chaplin, The Adding Machine, 1969.      Ringo as a cop? Director Jerome Epstein (Chaplin’s most recent producer) also lost Paul McCartney as Shrdlu from the weak UK film version of Elmer Rice’s play about a human adding machine (Milo O’Shea) being replaced at work by a mechanical adding machine. Adam Faith, Stardust, 1974. …
Continue reading Ringo Starr

Brian Bedford, Robin Hood, 1971.  Tommy Steele, the first UK Elvis, and Terry Jones, the comic rave from the Monty Python troupe (and future director of some of their films) were early choices to voice  the Sherwood guy.  Despite several  important movies, Bedford was lesser known and indeed, sadly, never lived up to his early …
Continue reading Sir Tommy Steele

Angelina Jolie, Mr and Mrs Smith, 2005.   The Madonna-esque singer, plus  Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Cate Blanchett, Eva Green, Catherine Zeta-Jones  were  among the potential hit-women to take over as Brad Pitt’s wife when Nicole Kidman walked.  HHer final replacement was, well,… When Brad Met Angelina! Jada Pinkett Smith, Madagascar, 2005.      From Stefani to …
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Elton John, Tommy, 1975.    “Rod phoned up and asked  if I thought it’d be good for him to do the Pinball Wizard,” said Elton,   “and I advised him against it. No, really.  At the time, I meant it.”   Elton then took it on. And kept the massive boots.     Birth year: Death year: …
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John Savage, Hair, 1978.    Czech director Milos Forman, succeeding George Lucas at the helm, saw many potential Claudes, including the UK rocker. Mel Gibson, The Bounty, 1983.    Yes, Anaïs, there was a time when Gibson was a mere second choice after Sting – worried by the excessive shooting schedule.   Another UK singer, David …
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1. – Kevin Spacey, Se7en, 1995.   The scary-looking REM singer was a pretty obvious (and dumb) idea for John   Doe.    Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls:  0

Nicole Kidman, Moulin Rouge! 2001.     Leading man Ewan McGregor put in a good word – or three – for the lead singer of the Scottish band Texas (“I Don’t Want a Lover,” 1989).  Didn’t work.   Also turned down by  Australian writer-director Baz Luhrmann: Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Courtney Love, Natalie Jackson Mendoza, Renée Zellweger, Catherine  …
Continue reading Sharlene Spiteri

Maxwell Caulfield, Grease 2, 1981.       Springfield, Shaun Cassidy, Greg Evigan, Bee Gee Andy Gibb, were in the loop for Cool Rider, the Aussie student at Rydell High for the totally unnecessary (and awful) sequel. Before the premiere, Caulfield was hailed as a new John Travolta. When it flopped, “nobody would touch me. …
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Treat Williams, Hair, 1978.      Nearly, Springsteen and Madonna…! Unbelievably, Broadway’s hippy hit was once planned as a movie vehicle for Bee Gees brothers Barry and Maurice Gibb (as George Berger and Woof). A much better plan was for The Boss to play Berger. Born in Manchester England, England! But losing The Boss and …
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1. – Demi Moore, Indecent Proposal, 1992. The British singer   was a surprise candidate alongside Nicole Kidman and Demi because UK director Adrian Lyne thought her   “a wonderful actress.”   Not yet.    Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls:  0

Allen Payne, New Jack City, 1990.    The rapper lost his audition as Gee Money because he looked younger than Wesley Snipes as Nino Brown. Surely that was obvious from the get go as Snipes was born in 1962 and Shakur in 1971… Shakur was very Nino Bownish as Bishop in Juice, 1991.   Omar Epps, …
Continue reading Tupac Shakur

1. – Adrienne Posta, Up The Junction, 1968. “Rube – that’s all I could   think of. Then I heard Sandie [the barefoot pop   star of the   hour] was going to play her. I thought: Forget   it, you haven’t   got a chance.”    But she had!    Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls: …
Continue reading Sandie Shaw

Ava Gardner, Show Boat, 1950.      Although the musical was bought for Judy Garland, new Metro chief Dore Schary couldn’t think of anyone finer than Dinah. She tested and MGMusical producer wizard Arthur Freed gave it to her straight. “You’re not a whore. Ava is. When she sings ‘Bill,’ she’s every streetwalker you ever …
Continue reading Dinah Shore

1. – Cyril Collard, Les nuit fauves, France, 1992.   Various young actors spurned the role of an AIDS victim, so   Collard (a young actor turning director, before   dying of   AIDS) turned to singers like Alain   Bashung – and Sirchis of the Indochine group.    Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls:  0

Lauren Hutton, Little Fauss and Big Halsey, 1970.      The Jefferson Airplane singer was best out of it as the titular twosome – Robert Redford and Bonnie and Clyde’s getaway driver, Michael J Pollard – loathed each other. Sean Young, Blade Runner, 1981.        For the author, Philip K Dick, the perfect Rachael …
Continue reading Grace Slick

Carmen Electra, Scary Movie, 1999.    Like Jenny McCarthy, the latest pop smash was up for Drew Decker in the first Scary.  Spears also passed on the sequel… Natasha Lyonne, Scary Movie 2, 2001.   Two pop-singers, Spears  and Christina Aguilera,  refused to be the  possessed Megan Voorhees as the Wayan brothers (Keenan Ivoy, Marlon and Shawn) sent up …
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Chris Penn, Cement, 1999.      The US country singer-songwriter had been actor-turned-director Adrian Pasdar’s first choice for the corrupt cop about to bury a mob capo in the quick-drying titular stuff. The next 90 minutes explained why.  And why  Charlie didn’t do it.     Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls: …
Continue reading Charlie Robison

John McGinley, On Deadly Ground,1993.    Steven Seagal only agreed to the lousy movie if he could direct it. That was an obvious insult for the likes of Anthony Hopkins and Alan Rickman. even Rollins  But Caine… He must have had another house to buy… Even Rollins passed MacGruder to McGinley. John Diehl, Nixon, 1995.      First …
Continue reading Henry Rollins

Paul Frankeur, Le deuxieme souffle, France, 1966.     A tres off-beat idea…. As the José Giovanni novel changed hands -producers, directors, backers – Rossi (a singer in movies since 1934) was set to be the policier gestapiste, Inspectopr Fardiano. For a wee while. Rossi had already offered a gangster by scenarist-director Carlo Rim. “He …
Continue reading Tino Rossi

Louis Mercier, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, 1938.      The French singing star felt the role – of a French singer, funnily enough – was beneath him. Trop petit! Too small! Thereby learning the hard way about there was no such thing as small roles, only small actors. Mercier mimed to the …
Continue reading Jean Sablon

Dooley Wilson, Casablanca, 1942.  Birth year: 1920Death year: 1981Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls:  1

Jason Alexander, Seinfeld, TV, 1989-1998.  Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls:  1

1. – Sharon Baird,   Ratboy, 1986. Using Iggy, aka The Iguana (Jim Morrison was known as The Lizard), was writer-director Rob Thompson’s 1983 plan. Actress-turned-director Sondra Locke chose a girl.   Iggy was later Rat Face in   Tank Girl, 1995. 2. – Michael Massee, The Crow, 1994.   Concerts prevented The Godfather of Punk being Funboy. Iggy   …
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Eddie Cochran, The Girl Can’t Help It, 1956.     Presley’s huckster manager,the self-styled Colonel Tom Parker, demanded too much money for Elvis to sing one song. Besides, E wanted real movies, not guest shots. Earl Holliman,  The Rainmaker, 1956.  Hey fellas, rasped The Colonel, not that real… As late as April 13, 1956, Elvis thought …
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  David Bowie, Labyrinth, 1985.  For (alas) his final film as a director, Muppeteer-in-Chief Jim Henson wanted a rock star as Jareth, ruler of the mystical world that, as Chicgo critic Roger Ebert put it, was  just out of sight of ordinary eyes…   Jackson topped the list, a nose ahead of Mick Jagger and Prince. …
Continue reading Prince

Brooke Fontaine, Ghost Dad, 1989.     When her family moved from Atlanta to New York, the kid model was snapped up by the Ford Modelling Agency – and immediately steered towards Bill Cosby’s new comedy. He said she as too young at three, choosing the five-year-old Fontaine. But the Cosby team called Raven back …
Continue reading Raven-Symone

Barbara Streisand, A Star Is Born, 1976.       Then  again, which hot singer hadn’t been in  the mix throughout  the 70s – Cher, Liza Minnelli, Diana Ross, etc.  Maureen McGovern, Airplane! 1980.          Universal threatened to sue on learning that the Kentucky Fried Theatre gang wanted the Aussie singer to …
Continue reading Helen Reddy

Ludacris, 2 Fast and 2 Furious, 2002.      One rapper for another… Redman the rapman  had to pass on playing Tej because of stage dates.  Enter: Ludacris – later billed as Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges in  Fast & Furious  6 and 7.    Birth year: Death year: Other name: Reggie NobleUsual occupation: SingerCasting Calls:  1

1. – Clotilde Courau, Le petit criminel, France, 1990.     “I was working on an album with Serge Gainsbourg.”   The singer refused all screen offers after her César-winning debut, Noces Blanches, 1989.    “The scripts weren’t satisfying.   Everyone saw me as a half-naked Lolita with the exception of Jacques Doillon” – and Jean Becker for her return …
Continue reading Vanessa Paradis

  Conny Van Dyke,WW and the Dancing Dixikings, 1974.   Two C&W stars rejected Dixie opposite Bert Reynolds as W Bright (a misnomer in Texas).  Dolly… and Lynn Anderson.    Film failed almost as badly as the one Dolly unwisely did make with Burt: The Best Little Whorehousae in Texas, 1981. Julie Walters, Educating Rita, 1983.   …
Continue reading Dolly Parton

1. – Zooey Deschanel, Gospel According To Janis, 2008. The pop punker (who took her name from Reservoir Dogs’ Mr Pink) was .Penelope Spheeris’ first (perfect) choice for the late rocker, but quit when   the producers turned the casting   into “some circus pop contest – who’s the It Girl who wants to play Janis.”   …
Continue reading Pink

Mackenzie Mauzy, Into The Woods, 2013.    Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls:  1

Olivia Newton-John, Grease,, 1977.      After passing up Carrie Fisher, Susan Dey and Deborah Raffin, director Randall Kleiser and his flamboyant producer, Allan Carr decided Marie was the one. She did not agree. Getting all all holier than thou about Sandy’s transformation from good to bad girl… if only in looks, make-up and (tight) …
Continue reading Marie Osmond

Nicholas Hammond, The Sound of Music, 1964.       Four of The Osmonds’ family singing group – Alan, Jay, Merrill, Wayne – tested for Friedrich of the Von Trapp family singing group.  Brothers as brother, it made sense.  On  paper. Duane Chase, The Sound of Music, 1964.      The Mormon brothers  also  tested …
Continue reading Merrill Osmond

Frédéric Andréi, Diva, France, 1980.   For his first feature’s hero, Jean-Jacques Beineix wanted an unknown. (That way the director garners all the praise!). Dominique Besnehard, soon to be Europe’s #1 casting director, suggested Christophe(r) Lambert (a friend for life), Anconina (not so much).  The also-rans were: Richard Berry, Jean-Paul Comart (ex-Connart), Tchéky Karyo, Christophe …
Continue reading Florent Pagny

Doris Day, The Pajama Game, 1956.   Two swell singers with the same-sounding name were sought by Warner Bros for the musical  about a strike at a  pajama factory. (Honest). Could be that Head Bro Jack Warner didn’t know the difference between Janis Paige andf Patti Page…  So Janis was free  to steal Silk Stockings from …
Continue reading Elaine Paige

Dennis Hopper, The Last Movie, 1970.  .   Or: The Last Movie or Boo Hoo in Tinseltown! Based on Hopper’s experiences while shooting The Sons of Katie Elder in Mexico (when indigenous natives re-enacted the movie-making), the film won the Critics’ Prize at Venice but The Last Movie was damn nearly The Last Hopper. Well, he shot …
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Nicholas Hammond, The Sound of Music, 1964.       Four of The Osmonds’ family singing group –  Alan, Jay, Merrill, Wayne – tested for Friedrich of the Von Trapp family singing group.  Brothers as brothers, it made sense.  On paper.   Duane Chase, The Sound of Music, 1964.     The Mormon brothers  also …
Continue reading Alan Osmond

Nicholas Hammond, The Sound of Music, 1964.       Four of The Osmonds’ family singing group – Alan, Jay, Merrill, Wayne – tested for Friedrich of the Von Trapp family singing group.  Brothers as brother, it made sense. On paper. Duane Chase, The Sound of Music, 1964.      The Mormon brothers also  tested …
Continue reading Jay Osmond

Nicholas Hammond, The Sound of Music, 1964.      Four of The Osmonds’ family singing group – Alan, Jay, Merrill, Wayne – tested for Friedrich of the Von Trapp family singing group.  Brothers as brother, it made sense. On paper. Duane Chase, The Sound of Music, 1964.      The Mormon brothers  also  tested for …
Continue reading Wayne Osmond

Sissy Spacek, Carrie, 1976.    Carrie Fisher,  Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, 1976. Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard, 1991.     For the body he guarded, hot singer Rachel Marron, star-producer Kevin Costner  ran through ten chanteuses.  From Madonna  and Joan Jett  to Olivia Newton-John and Dolly Parton.  Plus the Berlin band’s Nunn. …
Continue reading Terri Nunn

1. – Christopher Jones, Wild in  the Streets, 1967. The folk singer and songwriter was keen on trying movies but not AIP’s tale of Max Frost, a  rock singer who gets the voting age reduced to 14 and is, consequently, elected US President. Ochs said the script “presented the 60s’ youth counterculture in a badly …
Continue reading Phil Ochs

1. – Joely Fisher, I’ll Do Anything, 1993.  Carrie Fisher’s half-sister beat out O’Connor, Belinda Carlisle and Chynna Phillips for the musical  finally released sans songs! As for famous parents helping, Joely said: “Brandon Lee was a friend  and he said: Don’t you feel like you always have a comma before or after your name?” …
Continue reading Sinead O’Connor

  Lucy Liu, Chicago,  2002. Anne Hathaway, Havoc, 2004.     Second thoughts about the sex  scenes – back seat fellatio and a nude encounter with co-star and friend Jena Malone – had Moore passing Allison to Hathaway. Malone also quit. Variety  critic Lisa Nesselson suggested a better title would be:  Slumming for Dummies. When …
Continue reading Mandy Moore

Linda Fiorentino, Dogma, 1999.      Said Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers: Thou shalt not stop laughing//. As New Jersey’s askew auteur Kevin Smith explained many times: not casting his ex-lover, Joy Lauren Adams, as the descendent of Mary and Joseph was a major error. There were days when Linda wouldn’t even talk to him. …
Continue reading Alanis Morissette

Victoria Abril, La lune dans le caniveau (US: The Moon in the Gutter), France-Italy,  1982.   The sole flaw in Paris casting icon Dominique Besnehard – he knew zilch about black actresses. He ran to veteran singers –  Reading, aged 49, and Nancy Holloway, 50 – for  Depardieu’s young lover, Bella. He then found Diahnne Abbott. …
Continue reading Bertrice Reading

Aaliyah, Queen of the Damned, 2001.   What were they thinking?  Cher was hardly going to agree to be a (26 minute) supporting act to the vampire Lestat…!   Particularly in such a mish-mash of two Anne Rice novels. rushed into action before Warner Bros’ rights ran out.  She would have been  great, of course. However, director Michael Rymer …
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Barbara Eve Harris, Rizzoli & Isles, TV, 2012-2014. The “best female drummer alive” was up for two episodes as Camille Frost in  latest take on Cagney & Lacey.  But so was Barbara Eve Harris.  Oh, and  in his sixth move, Paxton The Dog played the pooch called… Jo Friday!  Birth year: Death year: Other name: …
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Isabelle Adjani, L’Eté meurtrier (UK/US : One Deadly Summer),  France, 1982.   When Adjani backed out because of the nudity required,  her potential successors included two singers (Lio and Jeanne Mas) and dancer Anne Fontaine.  Once Valerie Kaprisky was signed, Adjanin called director Jean Becker. She’d  changed her mind… “You have no right to behave like that,”  …
Continue reading Jeanne Mas

Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis, 2012.  After looking over Casey Affleck, Michael Fassbender and Ryan Reynold, the freres Coen, Joel and Ethan Coen, hoped to find “a musician who could act” as Davis. Omaha singer Conor Oberst, of the Bright Eyes band (among numerous other groups), was not the one. “They auditioned a lot of …
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  Stockard Channing, The Fortune, 1975. She didn’t know his work, much less his name, so a furious Mike Nichols stormed out of their meeting… Well, she was in a bad way .She  had just been sexually molested by her masseur  in The Beverly Wilshire steam room, as she finally explained in 1982, “I guess he …
Continue reading Bette Midler

Howard Keel, Kismet, 1954.       The Milan-born opera star – one of the finest basses of the post-war period – tested for the roguish Poet opposite Ann Blyth and Dolores Gray. Siepi only had one screen role – the same one twice: Mozart’s Don Giovanni, in a 1954 film and a 1960 TV …
Continue reading Cesare Siepi

The Ramones, Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, 1979.  Difficult to find a nand to (almost) close the movie at The Roxy concert. Petty wasn’t keen (it was a Roger Corman production, not Fox). Legend insists that after getting only $25,000 for the movie, the Ramones had to play Californian gigs to help pay their hotel …
Continue reading Tom Petty

Lisbeth Hummel, La bête, France, 1975.     Bizarrre notion: Polish sensual artist Walerian Borowczyk and an ex-Playboy Playmate from Cleveland!   She fell ill after a few days and the Danish Hummel took over.  “And I knew nothing about the dream sequence, that was a shock to suddenly see that…”  That being the tumescent beast. …
Continue reading Jeane Manson

Jeffrey Combs, House on Haunted Hill, 1999.      While Geoffrey Rush was chaneling Vincent Price (star of the original 1959 William Castle horror), Combs stole the show (in a way Manson could never have matched) as the evil Dr Richard Benjamin Vannacutt of the Vanacutt Psychiatric Institute for the Criminally Insane. Aha! Cillian Murphy, …
Continue reading Marilyn Manson

  Tony Martin, Till The Clouds Rolls By, 1946.    Eight months before officially becoming Martin & Lewis, the “engaging  Frank Sing-at-yuh croonster” (Chicago Daily News) was looked over by producer Joe Pasternak. MGM passed, having a good enough second-string Italian crooner in the other Martin  – really the Jewish Alvin Morris.  In his next …
Continue reading Dean Martin

  Marjorie Reynolds, Holiday Inn, 1941.     Martin had to refuse joining Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby  due to being pregnant with her daughter, Heller Halliday. Paramount immediately terminated her contract!  So she went back to ruling Broadway. Janet Blair, Something To Shout About, 1942.      It was not. In May, Martin was …
Continue reading Mary Martin

Diego Luna, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, 2004.     Natalie Portman-Ricky Martin became Romola Garai-Diego Luna (the young Mexican famed as Tenoch in Y tu mama tambien, 2001).      Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls:  1

Kathy Bates, Titanic, 1997.    Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls:  1

Madonna, Evita, 1996.    The former Lone Justice singer was among director  Oliver Stone’s choices when he thought  of not  crying for Argentina.    Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls:  1

  Beverly D’Angelo, Hair, 1978.     Nearly, Madonna and Bruce Springsteen… !!!   But Madonna was out-aced by D’Angelo as the perfect Sheila Franklin in Czech-born Milos Forman’s take on the Broadway hippy hit. (George Lucas had been asked to direct, but was rather busy. With American Graffiti).. Next time there was a major musical on …
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1. – Dolly Parton,  The Best Little Whorehouse  in Texas, 1982. Barbara “was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool.” And cool enough to be Willie Nelson’s pardner until the couple became Dolly and Burt Reynolds. As everyone, except Barbara and Willie,  knew it  would be..    Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls: …
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Neil Diamond,  The Jazz Singer, 1980. Mentioned for the second re-make of the first talkie when Diamond was hospitalised for back surgery. Manilow would have been no improvement. Robert Hays, Airplane!  1980.  Well, if Airport 1975 could have Helen Reddy, the Kentucky Fried Theatre Zucker brothers and Jim Abrahams could have Manilow as the pilot …
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John C Reilly, A Prairie Home Companion, 2006.    Revered director Robert Altman first asked Tom Waits and Lovett  to be singing cowboys Lefty and Dusty. Woody Harrelson and John C Reilly played them in what proved, alas, to be big Bob’s finale. Lovett, a C&W singer, was  the first husband of Julia Roberts, 1993-1995.   …
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Olivia Hussey, Romeo and Juliet, UK-Italy, 1967. The first version where the stars were close to the ages of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers.  Leonard Whiting and Olivia were 17 and 15. At MGM, circa 1935, Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer were, ridiculously, 43 and 35!  Italian director Franco Zeffirelli saw 500 hopeful Juliets, including Hollywood’s Kim …
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Victoria Sus, Evita, 1996. LuPone was Broadway’s first Eva Peron. All the movie offered was  – Eva Peron’s mother.  Hey, gracias po nada!  LuPone never bothered to see the movie. Aida Turturro, The Sopranos, TV, 2000-2007.    Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls:  0

Leonard Whiting, Romeo and Juliet,  UK-Italy, 1967.   Part of the idiocy surrounding the Fab Four: Italian stage-screen maestro Franco Zeffirelli tried persuading Macca to be Romeo. In his Liverpudlian accent? He met with Olivia Hussey – booked for Juliet at 15 – and they further communicated with telegrams. (e-mails had not yet been invented). But …
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Helen Kane, Nothing  But The Truth, 1929.   It’s tough at … the beginning!  Jeanette, the future MGM songbird (in a duo with Nelson Eddy for eight hit musicals) tested at  Paramount  to partner Richard  Dix – betting he can tell the truth and nothing but for 24 hours straight.  She lost out to Kane – …
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1. –  Glenna Forster Jones,  Leo The Last,  1970.  For the black hooker spied upon by Marcello Mastroianni’s Euro-monarch exiled to London slums,  director Joseph  Losey wanted  he  singer wife of  his usual composer, John Dankworth. Retaining  Mastroianni only, John Boorman re-adapted George Tabori’s  Black Comedy play..    Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual …
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Halle Berry, Monster’s Ball, 2001.     “I actually had that role before Halle. But they couldn’t set it up. It would have been me, Sean Penn and Robert De Niro.” Berry’s performance made her the first black winner of a Best Actress Oscar. That made her feel good! Bitty Schram, Monk, TV, 2002-2009. When …
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James Darren, Star Trek:  Deep Space Nine, TV, 1998-1999.      A novel notion for the final year of the finest Trek series – a holographic saloon singer with his own nightclub on DS9. Vic Fontaine was written for Frank Sinatra Jr and went on down to Robert Goulet, Tom Jones, Lawrence and Jerry Vale …
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Ringo Starr, The Magic Christian, 1969.      An uncredited John Cleese and his Monty Python co-star and co-writer Graham Chapman adapted Terry Southern’s satire… and invented Youngman Grand, a stepson for Peter Sellers’ Sir Guy Grand. With Sellers after the younger public, the role was offered to Lennon (as big a Sellers fan as …
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