1. – Geena Davis, Angie, 1993. The official reason was Madonna was already booked for Abel Ferrara’s Dangerous Game, 1992. Then, one of her emails was leaked – furious with the head Fox, Joe Roth, for dumping her for a non-Italian in the titular role. In truth, she fled after hearing Roth didn’t want her because she couldn’t carry a movie. (Not that this one did any better without her). Her director, Jonathan Kaplan, also quit and Martha Coolidge took over with her 1991 Rambling Rose star – after some thoughts about a dozen others, from Halle Berry to Meryl Streep. Very Italian!
2. – Sharon Stone, Basic Instinct, 1991.
3. – Cate Blanchett, Veronica Guerin, 2002. True story of the Irish journalist murdered by – not the IRA, but Dublin gangsters.
4. – Alison Janney, Strangers With Candy, 2005. The role of Alice was originally intended for Natasha Richardson, still in France when her scene had to be filmed. Had not The West Wing’s CJ Cregg been free, the next choice was Allen.
5. – Geena Davis, Commander in Chief, TV, 2005-06. Obviously – and naturally – writer-director Rod Lurie pitched his series as a continuation of The Contender, 2000 – in which Allen became vice-president…. which is where Davis started on TV.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 5