Kirstie Alley

Posted on by Tony CrawleyCategories:Actors

  1. Robin Curtis, Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, 1983.. “She’d been paid a decent sum for Star Trek II for a beginner,” said director Leonard Nimoy, “and I thought  the studio was prepared  to pay her more than twice that much for III.” But not as much as her agent demanded – ie more than DeForest (Bones) Kelley!  “I figured they weren’t very interested in me for Saavik,” said Alley. She felt Curtis “was at a real disadvantage playing the role someone else established, especially with Star Trek, which has an enormous following.  I think she did a fine job… except that, when I saw the film, I said: She isn’t Saavik. I am.”

  2. Catherine O’Hara, Home Alone, 1990. For the zero roles of Macauley Culkin’s forgetful parents (in a film written for and duly stolen by him), an astonishing 66 stars were considered – including 32 later seen for the hot lovers in Basic Instinct: Kim Basinger, Stockard Channing, Glenn Close, Kevin Costner, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Douglas, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Linda Hamilton, Daryl Hannah, Marilu Henner, Anjelica Huston, Helen Hunt, Holly Hunter, Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange, Christopher Lloyd, Jack Nicholson, Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Annie Potts, Kelly Preston, Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan, Martin Sheen, Sylvester Stallone, Sharon Stone, John Travolta.   Other near Moms were Kirstie Alley, Lynda Carter, Kim Cattrall, Geena Davis, Laura Dern, Jennifer Grey, Gates McFadden, Kelly McGillis, Bette Midler, Ally Sheedy, Mary Steenburgen, Debra Winger… and the inevitable unknown: Maureen McCormick,  part of The Brady Bunch for seven 1981 chapters.

  3. Kelly Lynch, Curly Sue, 1990.      “That was another movie that started out as one movie and ended up being another movie entirely,” reported Kelly Lynch. “But a great experience… like a throwback to one of those Depression-era movies that you’d seen Jean Harlow in.”  Kirstie Alley, Geena Davis, Laura Dern, Linda Hamilton (off shooting Terminator 2) , Goldie Hawn, Sigourney Weaver also suggested for  the cynical Chicago lawyer missed up with a Paper Moon IIact: James Belushi and  young Alisan Porter.   Critic Roger Ebert fell for John Hughes’ final film  – “could have been written by Damon Runyon, illustrated by Norman Rockwell and filmed by Frank Capra.”
  4. Rene Russo, Lethal Weapon 3, 1991.  For a lively addition to the fast-tiring franchise, director Richard Donner leafed through Alley, Joan Cusack, Geena Davis, Laura Dern, Jodie Foster, Linda Hamilton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Brooke Shields…   and a “too young” Winona Ryder – to be Lorna Cole, an Internal Affairs cop who, after a few suspicions, becomes the partner of Riggs and Murtaugh duo, aka Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. And she survived into #4.   Carrie Fisher was the #3 script doctor but Lorna’s best line – “Close is a lingerie shop without a front window” – was a Russo  ad lib.
  5. Darryl Hannah, Memoirs Of An Invisible  Man, 1992.      Chevy Chase had very visible demands: no comedy and no TV comedy co-star.  “I just wanted it to be different…  to have its own baggage and not somebody else’s.  It’s got enough baggage having me in it.”  That’s why it drowned.
  6. Jamie Gertz, Still Standing, TV, 2002-2006.   After six years as Rebecca on Cheers, 1987-1993, and three more as Veronica in Veronica’s Closet, 1997-2000, the last thing Kristie wanted up her Alley was another series, thankya verra much!   Also in the mix: Gertz, Kathy Griffin, Jennifer Irwin and Ally Walker.

 

 Birth year: 1951Death year: 2022Other name: Casting Calls:  6