- Olivia Newton-John, Grease, 1977. After passing up Susan Dey and Carrie Fisher, director Randall Kleiser and his flamboyant producer, Allan Carr, looked at Raffin for Sandy – and decided on Marie Osmond. She did not approve of Sandy’s transformation from good to bad girl… if only in looks, make-up and (tight) costuming. Silly Marie. Next came dinner at Helen Reddy’s house where sat another Aussie singer… and the increasingly powerful John Travolta agreed: She was the one!
- Margot Kidder, Superman, 1977.
- Lucie Arnaz, The Jazz Singer, 1980. Canadian director Sidney J Furie followed her exit. Richard Fleischer completed what Laurence Olivier declared (then retracted, as his words spread globally): “This piss is shit!”
- Tess Harper, Tender Mercies, 1983. The only role she really wanted, went up for… and lost.
- Michelle Pfeiffer, Scarface, 1982. Tested as the glacial Elvira Hancock. As did Rosanna Arquette, Kim Basinger, Colleen Camp, Glenn Close, Geena Davis, Carrie Fisher, Jodie Foster, Melanie Griffith, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kay Lenz, Kelly McGillis, Kristy McNichol, Brooke Shields, Sharon Stone, Kathleen Turner.
- Tess Harper, Tender Mercies, 1983. The only role she really wanted, went up for and lost.
- Linda Hamilton, The Terminator, 1983.
In all, 55 actresses were considered, seen or tested for Sarah Connor (aged 18; Linda was 27) opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger. James Cameron auteured Sarah for Bridget Fonda. She passed; so did Tatum O’Neal. He decided to go older… and Glenn Close won – her schedule didn’t agree. OK, Kate Capshaw! No, she was tied to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – and Kathleen Turner was Romancing The Stone. Debra Winger won her audition, said yes… then no. The other 48 ladies were The ’80s Group: Raffin, Rosanna Arquette, Kim Basinger, Christy Brinkley, Colleen Camp, Jamie Lee Curtis, Geena Davis, Judy Davis, Mia Farrow, Carrie Fisher, Jodie Foster, Teri Garr, Jennifer Grey, Melanie Griffith, Darryl Hannah, Barbara Hershey, Anjelica Huston, Amy Irving, Diane Keaton, Margot Kidder, Diane Lane, Jessica Lange, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kay Lenz, Heather Locklear, Lori Loughlin, Kelly McGillis, Kristy McNichol, Michelle Pfeiffer, Meg Ryan, Susan Sarandon, Ally Sheedy, Cybill Shepherd, Brooke Shields, Sissy Spacek, Sharon Stone, Lea Thompson, Sigourney Weaver… one aerobics queen, Bess Motta (she became Sarah’s room-mate, Ginger Ventura), two singers (Madonna, Liza Minnelli), two Brits (Miranda Richardson, Jane Seymour), five essentially funny girls, Goldie Hawn, Rhea Perlman (Mrs Danny De Vito), Gilda Radner, Mary Tyler Moore… plus the new MTM, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, from Saturday Night Live. Most were in contention again a few years later for Fatal Attraction (won by Close) and The Accused (going to Foster and McGillis). Ten years later (after T2), Linda gave birth to Cameron’s daughter and Josephine’s parents wed in 1997… for two years.
Birth year: 1953Death year: 2011Other name: Casting Calls: 7