- Vin Diesel, The Fast and the Furious, 2000. “Let’s go for a little ride…” The title was first used by Roger Corman (v John Ireland) in 1954. However, the Olyphant in the room refused to be F&F crew leader Dom Toretto, thinking the actioner (and ghen some) was too close to his just finished gig, Gone in 60 Seconds. Except it took the F&Franchise 13 years to be gone…
- Laurence Fishburne, Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, 2006. Djimon Hounsou and Gary Sinise also auditioned as the voice of Silver Surfer – won by Fishburne after deciding against voicing Galactus who, finally, was not humnanised.
- Robert Downey Jr, Iron Man, 2007. Michael Jackson pushed hard to be in in the 90lb suits of about 450 separate pieces. After musing over Olyphant, Nicolas Cage, Tom Cruise, Hugh Jackman, Clive Owen and Sam Rockwell, director Jon Favreau only wanted Downey. “The best and worst moments of Robert’s life have been in the public eye. He had to find an inner balance to overcome obstacles that went far beyond his career. That’s Tony Stark.” And the Olyphantastic Tim won something far better – Marshal Raylan Givens in the finest adaptation of Elmore Leonard in TV’s superb Justified.
- Benjamin Walker, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, 2011. Less beautiful than Buffy, the oddest vampire slayer of all was a hot 3D project (he throws a mean axe!) and a great role – Honest Abe, the 16th US president from age 20 to 55, during in his other life. (His mother had been s slain by a vampire, you see). After seeing Tim, Eric Bana Adrien Brody, James D’Arcy, Tom Hardy, Rob Huebel, Josh Lucas and newcomer Oliver Jackson-Cohen, the Russian producer-director Timur Bekmambetov voted Walker. Another producer was Tim Burton. So where was Johnny Depp?
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 4