- Mary Gross, Saturday Night Live, TV, 1981-1982. Auditioned to join the The Not Ready For Prime-Time Players at Studio 8H, in the GE Building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza or as a future NBC series would call it: 30 Rock.
- Glenn Close, Fatal Attraction, 1987.
- Kelly McGillis, The Accused, 1988. Paramount suits saw 40 young actresses for the (real life) gang rape victim. Or, their own rape bait fantasies… such as 16-year-old Alyssa Milano! And a further 28 for her defence attorney. Including the Fatal Attraction also-rans (from Catherine to Debra Winger, by way of Diane Keaton and, naturally, Meryl Streep). Plus Blythe Danner, Sally Field, Terri Garr,Mary Gross, Dianne Wiest. A 1982 rape victim herself, McGillis refused Jodie Foster’s Oscar-winning role, and asked to play her lawyer.3. – Madonna, Dick Tracy, 1990. Martin Scorsese considered the blonde comic from SCTV (Second City TV) for his Dick and recommended her to his successor. “So I went to Warren Beatty’s house… and he’s listening to me like he’s never met a woman in his entire life, as if everything I have to say is the most important thing he’s ever heard. Meeting Warren was the only thing I’ve ever done in showbusiness that ever impressed my girlfriends.” He gave her the role of Texie Garcia. She then beat his grosses as Macauley Culkin’s mother in Home Alone, top box-office hit of 1990.
- Madonna, Dick Tracy, 1990. Martin Scorsese considered the blonde comic from SCTV (Second City TV) for his Dickand recommended her to his successor. “So I went to Warren Beatty’s house… and he’s listening to me like he’s never met a woman in his entire life, as if everything I have to say is the most important thing he’s ever heard. Meeting Warren was the only thing I’ve ever done in showbusiness that ever impressed my girlfriends.” He gave her the role of Texie Garcia. She then beat his grosses as Macauley Culkin’s mother in Home Alone, top box-office hit of 1990.
- Susan Sarandon, Thelma & Louise, 1990.
- Sharon Stone, Basic Instinct, 1991.
- Jo Ann Harris, The Simpsons #45: Flaming Moe’s, TV, 1991. Since its 1989 birth, the yellowtoon family Simpson smashed records for episodes, audiences, and the most guest stars (as themselves or others). From Buzz Aldrin, Glenn Close (Homer’s Mom), Dennis Franz (Evil Homer!), George Harrison, Stephen Hawking, Dustin Hoffman, Bob Hope, Eric Idle to Paul and Linda McCartney, Conan O’Brien (a Simpsons writer made good), Michelle Pfeiffer, Mickey Rooney, Ringo Starr, Meryl Streep plus Barry (and Betty) White! Not all celebs won through. O’Hara recorded Colette but the creatives weren’t happy and had her redubbed by JAH.
- Julia Ormond, Rememory, 2016. Change of Carolyn Dunn in the lacklustre sf mystery. The film’s star, Anton Yelchin, died in 2017, when run down by own Jeep. The movie was dedicated to him – as happened to all of his 2017 releases: Newness, Porto, Smurfs: The Lost Village, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia (his very last gig) and We Don’t Belong Here made in 20145).
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 8