- Kris Kristofferson, Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid, 1972.
- Randy Quaid, The Last Detail, 1973. He had nabbed his star – Jack Nicholson – so director Hal Ashby could gamble on the dumbass young sailor being escorted to the clink. Hence, such wayward thoughts about Denver – and John Travolta.
- Richard Gere, An Officer and a Gentleman, 1982. The way too busy Jeff Bridges (in three films that year) was director Taylor Hackford’s first Zack Mayo. Dennis Quaid and Christopher Reeve were seen. John Denver, Kurt Russell, John Travolta and Ken Wahl simply refused. Hackford said Eric Roberts’ manager Bill Treusch got in the way of any possible director-actor teamanship. So it was Gere who literally swept Debra Winger off her feet. Denver never looked strong enough to sweep her carpet. “Not for me,” her said, “it’s just too, well, 50s.” That’s why he remained a middling pop singer and the star of one cinema movie only, Oh, God, 1977, which truth to tell, was too, well, 30s!
Birth year: 1943Death year: 1997Other name: Casting Calls: 3