- Melissa Prophet, Invasion USA, 1985. Having just made her film debut in Steven Spielberg’s The Colour Purple, Whoopi must have been bemused by an invitation from Chuck Norris. Although poles apart politically, they were friends and he wanted her as the journalist in his absurd actioner. “Director” Joseph Zito said no. I doubt if Whoopi cared – as McGuire just, well, disappeared from the “plot.”
- Bob Goldthwait, The Burglar, 1987. After her Spielberg breakthrough, Whoopi made it clear: “No hookers, no Mammies, no Hollywood racial stereotypes.” Instead, she played cops, burglars – and men. “Actors did it in Shakespearean times.” She was set to be Bruce Willis’ sidekick here. He quit, killing the project until she said: “l can do this.” And Goldthwait became the sidekick.
- Sam Elliott, Fatal Beauty, 1987. “With the exception of two, my movies were never written for me. There’s no such thing as a Whoopi Goldberg part and I like that. I really believe that the art of acting is being able to do anything – whatever comes down. I was supposed to be the sidekick again.
- Robin Wright, The Princess Bride, 1987. Not seriously considered by anyone – except Whoopi.
- Joan Cusack, Working Girl, 1988. “I’m more of a character actress. Not a star. Stars don’t work enough for me.”
- CCH Pounder, Out of Rosenheim (aka Bagdad Café), Germany, 1989. Ready for anything, Whoopi made a rotten choice. No – to movie by Bavarian director Percy Adlon. Yes – to the short-lived TV series based on it.
- Randy Quaid, Cold Dog Soup, 1990. Jack Cloud was an altogether different kind of taxi driver taking foklks on bizarre trips to ethnicity. Cloud was Caribbean and Little Richard was penciled in, rubbed out and replaced by Whoopi who then erased herself.
- Lesley Ann Warren, Life Stinks,1990. Auteur and star Mel Brooks blamed the change of Molly on himself. He had scant confidence for playing Whoopi’s lover. Ted Danson didn’t have the same issues – having a year long affair with Whoopi after co-starring in Made in America, 1992. LAW had been simply Lesley Warren for her 23 chapters of Mission: Impossible, in 1970-1971. She got the gig. Mel got the finger – huis biggest flop. His original title nailed it. Life Sucks.
- Witney Houston, The Bodyguard, 1992. Marsha Norman re-wrote Lawerence Kasdan’s Steve McQueen-Diana Ross into Rutger Hauer looking after Whoopi. “But,” said a keen Goldberg, “they didn’t want Rutger. And my attitude is I can play anything.”
- Jim Carrey, Ace Ventura, Pet Detective, 1993. Jim ran with it and has never stopped running since… Also in the Ace frame: Rick Moranis, Judd Nelson, even the UK’s Alan Rickman.
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Ruby Dee, The Stand, TV, 1993. The 41st of Stephen King’s staggering 313 screen credits had a cast of 125 speaking roles. Whoopi was in the mix for Mother Abigail but Ruby exclaimed: “My whole life has been research for Mother Abagail.” And she sure proved it. Whoopi won the role in the 2019 nine-part remake . (King Kameo: Teddy Weizak).
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Melanie Griffith, Born Yesterday, 1993. Announced in 1986 opposite Walter Matthau for Garson Kanin’s re-scripted version for Canon – “the company of the future” with no future.
- Lily Tomlin, And The Band Played On, 1993. The HBO film of Randy Shilt’s history of AIDS lay dormant until Richard Gere, then Whoopi agreed to star. And then she fell out… “I only got in it,” said Lily, “because Whoopi got sick. I stepped in at the last minute. I was glad. I wanted to be in it.”
- Nathan Lane, The Lion King, 1994. Ernie Sabella and Lane supplied such great voice-routines for the hyenas, they were promoted to Timon and Pumbaa. Cheech Marin and Whoopi were moved to the hyenas.
- Jane Horrocks, Bring Me The Head of Mavis Davis, 1997. The unfunny UK comedy needed her… But John Henderson dug his heels in for Jane. “I wanted a woman-next-door who could be funny, sing and rip my heart out. Whoopi hasn’t lived next door to anybody for 40 years… If a film is to work, it has to touch you.” Mavis touched no one.
- Queen Latifah, Chicago, 2002.
- Jill Scott, The #1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, TV, 2008-2009. Whoopi, Queen Latifah and TV tycoon Oprah Winfrey were overly obvious choices while Grammy-winning singer Scott proved totally refreshing as novelist Alexander McCall Smith’s amateur but canny Botswana ‘tec, Mma Precious Ramotswe. The pilot was the last work of Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack. Apparently, 18 African actresses were also tested; no one seems to have logged their names. Or not with me.
- Patrick Stewart, The Emoji Movie, 2016. As Whoopi informed her old Star Trek co-star on The View, she had auditioned for the role he won. “It ’s a very dignified role, one I deeply wanted to play.” Poop ! “You know poop sounds like me, normally, but you want it to sound like Patrick Stewart!” Stewart was shocked only by the fact that she auditioned. “But Whoopi, you’re a star!” “In my mind, sure.”
- Ariana Grande, Wicked, 2022. Demi Moore was the first actress to show any interest in Gregory Maguire’s book on the life and times of the wicked witch of the West in the land of Oz. Next, Amanda Seyfried campaigned for Glinda The Good over five years. Producer Marc Platt said Whoopi Goldberg and Laurie Metcalf were just as keen. Ariana Grande won the two-part movie – as previously suggested by Broadway’s Glinda, Kristin Chenoweth.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 19