- John Goodman, Babe, 1992. The actor-writer from Swingers was never an athlethic type. So he was not surprised to be rejected as the young Babe Ruth – although he would have been better suited than Goodman trying to pass himself off as a teen! In 1998, after a year of research and training 15 hours a day in the ring, Jon took the tile role of MGM’s tele-movie, Rocky Marciano.
- Matthew Perry, Friends, TV, 1994-2004.
- Frank Medrano, The Shawshank Redemption, 1994. ”My worst audition,” said Favreau, up for a convict called Fat Ass in the 43rd of Stephen King’s staggering 313 screen credits. Good came of it. He decided to lose weight. He won 69 other screen roles (Rocky Marciano, included!), directed 26 gigs, from Iron Man 1 and 2 to Disney’s live-action versions of The Jungle Book and The Lion King 1 and 2 – and produced Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian series.
- James Belushi, Return To Me, 2000. Jon refused Joe who became Jim. Oh no, said Jon, I don’t want any supporting role. Which explains how he rapidly became … a director. Iron Man, etc.
- Philip Seymour Hoffman, Almost Famous, 2000. For Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical look back to his Rolling Stone reporter “daze,” Favreau and Black auditioned as the rock critic Lester Bangs. PSH shot it in four days while riddled with, er, flu. He later ODed, alas, like Bangs.
- Matt Damon, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, 2001. For his Good Will Hunting spoof, Kevin Smith (the sole auteur in New Jersey) chose pals Jon and Vince Vaughn as Chuckie and Will (from Good Will Hunting), before getting his pals – the real Hunting stars, Affleck and Damon.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 6