- Joseph Mazello, Radio Flyer, 1990. Columbia won what was then the hottest script in town – and cowardly chickened out of its subject, cast and debuting writer-director. And called in Richard Donner – “hey, The Goonies was a great kids’ movie!” However, the main subject here was (or had been) child, abuse. When David Mickey Evans was still in charge of his own semi-autobio drama, Rosanna Arquette’s kids – well, Lorraine Bracco’s now – were James Badge Dale and Joseph Mazzello as his younger brother, abused by their stepfather. Elijah won Mike a reported 3,000 candidates, including Macauley Culkin (he’d just finished Home Alone), James Badge Dale and Milo Ventimiglia. DME turned his ruined script into a novel, The King of Pacoima (with no cuts) and directed 16 other movies by 2022.
- Jai Courtney, A Good Day To Die Hard, 2012. Justin Timberlake was first chosen for our hero John McClane’s son, Jack, in Live Free or Die Hard, 2006, aka Hard 4. Jack was axed and kept in the Fox fridge until Hard 5. By the time that was ready six years later, Timberlake was gone and the new candidates for McHero Jr were: Courtney, DJ Cotrona, Shiloh Fernandez, Ben Foster, Liam Hemsworth, Steven R McQueen (the grandson), Aaron Paul, Milo Ventimiglia, Paul Walker. And Dale from the 24 and Rubicon series.
- Sam Rockwell, A Single Shot, 2012. As the backwoods hunter John Moon, Rockwell was the single mainstay of an over-the-top thriller. Dale could never have matched him.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 3