- Luis Guzman, Punch-Drunk Love, 2001 . One of director Paul Thomas Anderson’s regulars substituted another in a disastrous PTA movie.
- Zelijko Ivanek, Manderlay, 2004. John quit director Lars Von Trier’s Danish set in outrage over the killing of a donkey. Producer Peter Aalbaek Jensen insisted that the donkey was old and sick and the killing was humane. “We could probably kill six children for a film without anyone raising a fuss.” Bowing to animal rights groups, Von Trier later cut the scene.
- David Koechner, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, 2003. The first draft of the San Diego KVWN Channel 4 Newsman’s bio suggested Reilly… but Koechner was the better improv guy as the sportscaster, a chump called Champ.
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John Malkovich, RED, 2009. John 1 liked what he read of the first 40 pages about the RED gang – Retired, Extremely Dangerous – but wondered why he was suggested for Frank. No, no, said his agent, Bruce Willis is Frank and you’re Marvin Bloggs now that John 2 had other roles to fry.
- Woody Harrelson,The Hunger Games, 2011
- Zach Braff, Oz: The Great and Powerful, 2012. Braff winning a role once aimed at Reilly – oh really! John and Christoph Waltz (who later co-starred in Polanski’s Carnage) were in the Disney mix for Frank, a nothing role in a nothing movie- the assistant mistreated by his boss, James Franco, as the woefully miscast Oz. Unless you realise he’s really Dorothy. Oh, why did Disney bother with such a non-starter? (Film and star).
- James Corden, Into The Woods, 2013.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 7