- Brooke Shields,The Blue Lagoon, 1980. A queen from Queens, Lori Ann Loughlin,won and then rejected the lead role of Emmeline forher teenage comeback at age 16.She’d debuted in The Smith Family with Henry Fonda and a 19-year-old Ron Howard. Now, the teenagerrefused the re-make even though she had a body double for all nudity. Brooke, 15,had her long hair glued to her breasts. Lori won her 15 minutes in Full House, TV, 1988-95, and helped revamp the 90210 series in 2009.
- Jennifer Jason Leigh, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, 1981. The US high school movie..! Researched and written by Cameron Crowe, directed by Amy Heckerling. The rôle: Brad’s foxy sister, Stacy. The choices: Loughlin, Ellen Barkin, Geena Davis, Jodie Foster (studying at Yale), Diane Lane, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kelly Preston, Brooke Shields, Elizabeth Shue. Few were keen on joining Richard Romanus in full-frontalism. (The scene was cut to avoid an X-rating!).
- Winona Ryder, Beetlejuice, 1987. Finding Betelgeuse was easier for director Tim Burton than unearthing Lydia. He saw Loughlin, Justine Batman, Jennifer Connelly, Diane Lane, Juliette Lewis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Molly Ringwald, Brooke Shields. And fell for Winona. Didn’t ee all. She was sweet 17 at the time
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Linda Hamilton, The Terminator, 1983.
In all, 55 actresses were considered, seen or tested for Sarah Connor (agewd 18; Linda was 27) opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger. James Cameron auteured Sarah for Bridget Fonda. She passed; so did Tatum O’Neal. He decided to go older… and Glenn Close won – her schedule didn’t agree. OK, Kate Capshaw! No, she was tied to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – and Kathleen Turner was Romancing The Stone. Debra Winger won her audition, said yes… then no. The other 48 ladies were The ’80s Group: Loughlin, Rosanna Arquette, Kim Basinger, Christy Brinkley, Colleen Camp, Jamie Lee Curtis, Geena Davis, Judy Davis, Mia Farrow, Carrie Fisher, Jodie Foster, Teri Garr, Jennifer Grey, Melanie Griffith, Darryl Hannah, Barbara Hershey, Anjelica Huston, Amy Irving, Diane Keaton, Margot Kidder, Diane Lane, Jessica Lange, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kay Lenz, Heather Locklear, Kelly McGillis, Kristy McNichol, Michelle Pfeiffer, Deborah Raffin, Meg Ryan, Susan Sarandon, Ally Sheedy, Cybill Shepherd, Brooke Shields, Sissy Spacek, Sharon Stone, Lea Thompson, Sigourney Weaver… one aerobics queen, Bess Motta (she became Sarah’s room-mate, Ginger Ventura), two singers (Madonna, Liza Minnelli), two Brits (Miranda Richardson, Jane Seymour), five essentially funny girls, Goldie Hawn, Rhea Perlman (Mrs Danny De Vito), Gilda Radner, Mary Tyler Moore… plus the new MTM, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, from Saturday Night Live. Most were in contention again a few years later for Fatal Attraction (won by Close) and The Accused (going to Foster and McGillis). Ten years later (after T2), Linda gave birth to Cameron’s daughter and Josephine’s parents wed in 1997… for two years. - Molly Ringwald, Pretty In Pink, 1985. Although it was obvious that Molly would star – following her two previous John Hughes outings – he kept her in line by seeing Loughlin, Justine Bateman, Jennifer Beals, Jodie Foster, Diane Lane, Tatum O’Neal, Saraha Jessica Paker and Brooke Shields. Hughes hated his ending (as much as Molly loathed the dress) and rewrote it for another teen triangle, Some Kind of Wonderful, 1986. Ringwald refused to play it again. “I can’t be 16 forever!” Hughes was furious and never worked with her again.
- Julia Roberts, Pretty Woman, 1989.
- Kirsten Dunst, Spider-Man, 2001.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 7