- Will Smith, Men in Black, 1997. The NBC late night talk-show host turned Sabrina star find was second choice when Chris O’Donnell preferred sidekicking Batman IV –and Bill Paxton refused – allowing Smith two successive #1 USummertime blitzes.
- Liev Schreiber, The Hurricane, 1998. Director Norman Jewison invited Schreiber to be Sam Chaiton, one of three Canadians fighting (like his lawyers) to free New Jersey boxer Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter, after being framed for three murders costing him 19 years in jail due to racism, corruption, said critic Roger Ebert. “And – perhaps most wounding- indifference.”
- Bruce Greenwood, Double Jeopardy, 1999. Bruce knew all about faking his death to frame his wife while out at sea on a yacht. He did exactly the same in Bitter Vengeance, 1994.
- Peter Sarsgard, Shattered Glass, 2003. Due for Chuck Lane, news editor of the New Republic, discovering that all the facts by staff writer Stephen Glass (Hayden Christensen) were fiction.
- Seth Rogen, The Green Hornet, 2010. Chatted up in June 2001 longafter George Clooneyquit for Batman & Robin. And long before Rogen arrived… and ultimately dieted losing a terrifying 30 lbs.
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Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 5