- Nicholas Brendon, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, TV, 1997-2003. Vancouver’s Reynolds, ex-lover of Alanis Morrissette and Scarlett Johansson, tested but had no wish to be high schooler Zander Harris because of his own awful high school memories. Brendon did what he was told – “stop buffing up in the gym – you’re a vampire!” – and survived the entire 145 episodes. An uncredited exec producer of the show was Dolly Parton’s Sandollar combine. Oh, and Buffy was the original name of… Yoda!
- Jake Gyllenhaal, Accidental Love, 2008. Lucky to lose the role of Howard Birdwell as the David O Russell film suffered boycotts by actors and crew when the budget ran dry. After shooting “finished” in November, it was shelved until a February 2015 release when Russell’s credit had turned into Stephen Greene.
- Sharlto Copley, The A Team, 2009. Reynolds and Woody Harrelson were considered for Captain “Howling Mad” Murdock. Then, director Joe Caranahan saw Neil Blomkamp’s surprise South African winner, District 9, 2009 and fell for Copley playing a the hero, described by Chicago critic Roger Ebert, as not “the brightest bulb on the tree.”
- Oscar Issac, Inside Llewyn Davis, 2012. The Coen brothers saw Casey Affleck, Michael Fassbender and Ryan Reynolds for the titular Davis on the Greenwich Village music scene Plus the muchb closer more acceptable Scott Avett (of North Carolina’s Avett Brothers band) and US singer-songwriter Conor Oberst. “The film doesn’t really have a plot,” admitted Joel Cohen. “That’s why we threw the cat in.” The Cohens said they preferred their True Grit vulture to the cats they used.
- Christoph Waltz, Big Eyes, 2014. The true tale of the US painter Margaret Keane and the husband who claimed credit for all her work (Colette’s husband Willy did the same about her books) was first aimed at Kate Hudson-Thomas Haden Church, then Reese Witherspoon-Ryan Reynolds and, finally, Amy Adams and the German double-Oscar winner, Christoph Waltz. Their director, Ti, Burton, was a Keane art collector and commissioned portraits from her of his lovers, Helena Bonham Carter and Lisa-Marie.
- Henry Cavill, The Man From UNCLE, 2013. After securing the 60s’ TV series rights in 1993, producer John Davis went through 20 years, 14 scripts, four directors (letting slip Soderbergh and Tarantino!), plus 19 Napoleon Solos. From George Clooney in 2010 to Tom Cruise three years later. By way of the early-21st century suspects: Reynolds, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joel Edgerton, Michael Fassbender, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ryan Gosling, Jon Hamm, Joel Kinnaman, Ewan McGregor, Robert Pattinson, Chris Pine, Alexander Skarsgård (he switched to Tarzan), Channing Tatum. Even Russell Crowe, surely a better bet at 50 for old Waverly, the UNCLE boss. Poor Davis never got it right!
- TJ Miller, Big Hero 6, 2014. “We didn’t set out to be superheroes. But sometimes life doesn’t go the way you planned.” Zac Efron, Dwayne Johnson, Chris Pratt and Ryan Reynolds were short-listed for Fred – comic-book fan and now comic-book hero in Disney’s first Marvel subject – winning the best animation Oscar. It unfurls in 2023 (we all know that computer battery number, right?) in San Fransokyo (‘Frisco rebuilt by the Japanese after an earthquake) and deals with a super-troupe behind the titular collective name… that nobody ever uses. TJ next joined Reynolds in Deadpool. “He’s a real student of comedy,” said co-director Chris Williams.,” so Fred ended up becoming a richer character than anyone expected.” Stan Lee, himself, was Fred’s Pop.
- Ezra Miller, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, 2015.
- James McAvoy, It Chapter Two, 2018. At one time The Penguin, The Rock, Peter Quill, Harry Potter, Deadpool, The Green Hornet and Doctor Who were suggested for the adult Bill Denbrough – ie, Danny De Vito, Dwayne Johnson, Chris Pratt, Daniel Radcliffe, Ryan Reynolds, Seth Rogan, David Tennant. Also in the mix: Zac Efron, Will Ferrell, Sean Hayes, Ashton Kutcher, Seth Rogan and such off-the-wall outsiders as UK comics Russell Brand, James Corden, Eddie Izzard and Matt Lucas! McAvoy was the real McCoy – and one of the biggest Stephen King fans around. Bill Skarsgård had more fun as Pennywise this time. No literal nightmares about fighting the clown, no kid actors scared by him in scenes, his five-hour make-up cut by half and less dialogue… in the 262nd of King’s staggering 313 screen credits. (King Kameo: Pawnbroker).
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Ezra Miller, The Flash, ,2019. (Released in 2023). After their Gotham triumph, the Batman boys, Jon Peters and Peter Guber, planned the first Flash movie as long ago as 1991. Much later, Ryan Reynolds was up for what would have been the first of his three superheroes (counting Captain Excellent in Paperman ). Next? Chris Pine in 2016. They never happened. But 28 years later, Bradley Cooper, True Blood‘s Ryan Kwanten, Scott Porter and Daniel Radcliffe, were in the mix. Plus the Lost star Matthew Fox… back in ’91 the choice was another Fox – Michael J Furthermore, the actual writer-creator (with artist Harry Lampart) of the three scarlet speedsters was yet another Fox – Gardner Fox, 1911-1986. (What? Oh no, the fourth Flash, Barry’s grandson, Bart, didn’t arrive until 2006).
Souvenirs<<<<<
Talking with David Letterman… “Did Deadpool because I wanted ownership of my destiny. – head to toe in a body condom! We had a budget of just $58m – the cocaine budget on Thor!” Loves watching old movies on TCM, one reason why his films always have a Jack Benny reference,. Adores John Candy and Will Ferrell (nobody’s perfect). ”I had Candy’s book from Trains and Planes so I could carry it in Deadpool. Never seen, but I knew it was there.”
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 10