- Jodie Foster, Shadows and Fog, 1991. “I had a couple of those fast auditions,”said MLP about Woody Allen.
- Meg Ryan, Prelude to a Kiss,1992. MLP created the role of Rita Botleon Broadway but, almost as per usual was turned down for the movie. Like what did she know about the part!
- Juliette Lewis,Husbands and Wives, 1992. Woody called her again.Into the office, that is, not into the film. He finally booked MLP two films later for Bullets Over Broadway, 1994.
- Nicole Kidman, My Life, 1992. Marisa Tomei also tested for the role of Gail Jones – the wife about to have a child and lose hubby Michael Keaton to cancer.
- Nicole Kidman, To Die For, 1994.
“You aren’t anybody in America if you’re not on TV…” Most bright young things agreed this was a role to die for… the girl who would do anything (murder included) to get on TV, and stay there. They included MLP, Patricia Arquette, Jennifer Connelly, Joan Cusack, Bridget Fonda, Jodie Foster, Melanie Griffith, Darryl Hannah, Holly Hunter, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tatum O’Neal, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Meg Ryan (passing up $5m), Brooke Shields, Uma Thurman. However, Debra Winger simply refused… and Kidman persuaded director Gus Van Sant that she was his destiny. - Julia Roberts, Michael Collins, 1995. MLP had all but signed her contract when Julia telephone her interest to director Neil Jordan. Nolo contendere! Her historic, yet unecessary role of Kitty Kernan, in love with both key Irish rebels, Collins and his friend Harry Boland (Adian Quinn). Just a sop to the audience, commented critic Roger Ebert, not as additional drama.
- Rose McGowan, Charmed, TV, 2001-2006. If the series was beginning to bore the fast exiting Shannen Doherty, why would MLP be interested in replacing her?
- Teri Hatcher, Desperate Housewives, TV, 2004-2008. Creator Marc Cherry insisted on auditions for every role. But his A List choices for Susan Mayer-MLP, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Calista Flockhart – refused such readings.. After her great West Wing guest shots, MLP wonher own hitseries with Weeds, 2005-2008.
- Gwyneth Paltrow, Proof, 2005. Or, 1992 II… A battle of the stage Catherines to play… her on-screen. As Hollywood tradition dictates,the Broadway star (MLP) was side-swiped… as were two others who hadplayed the role on stage: Anne Heche, Jennifer Jason Leigh. Andthe London West End Catherine won the movie.
- Elizabeth Reaser, Twilight, 2007. Author Stephenie Meyer had her own ideas about who should play who in the first film of her book series – such as MLP as Esme Cullen. Director Catherine Hardwicke didn’t agree with any of them. And was not invited to make the rest of the saga.
- Sarah Jessica Parker, Lovelace, 2011. Change of the Gloria Steinem cameo when Demi Moore quit due to health issues. MLP took her place. For seconds. SJP finally played Steinem – snipped in the final cut of the biopic about the hardcore superstar Linda Lovelace, star of Deep Throat, the surprise porno-chic phenomenon attracting millions to screenings… including Hollywood gentry Warren Beatty, Johnny Carson, Sammy Davis Jr, Jack Nicholson, etc. Throat cost peanuts and made gold bars – a global $600m-plus, probably the most profitable movie ever produced.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 11