- Chris Rock, Lethal Weapon 4, 1998. One sequel is enough! Roger Ebert’s Chicago Tribune review made #1 a hit way beyond Warner’s meagre expectations He felt #4 was mere out-takes… All the usual black suspects – Combs (aka Puff Daddy in those day), Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, Chris Tucker, Larenz Tate – rejected the gay cop, Lee Butters. Rock rolled, but as, suddenly, the father of Danny Glover’s grandchild! As usual Glover said: “I’m too old for this shit!” This time he meant it, as he and Mel Gibson finally reached the ages of Murtaugh and Riggs as scripted in 1986.
- Jamie Foxx, Any Given Sunday, 1999. When Puff Daddy didn’t work out (nor P Diddy, Puffy, Diddy, Brother Love and B Love..!) for the third-string quarterback, Steamin’ Willie Beamen, director director Oliver Stone shocked Warners by choosing the star of the studio’s hit TV series. “Executives didn’t seem to realise they had a valuable asset.” Jamie won an Oscar six years later as Ray Charles in Ray.
- Cuba Gooding Jr, The Fighting Temptations, 2003. P assed on the Madison Avenue exec must build creating a gospel choir. To obtain an inheritance.
- Rob Lawrence Brown, Odd Thomas, 2012. Change of Shamus Cocobolo in the life of Odd, a clairvoyant fry cook Anton Yelchin. (His parents forgot to add T for Todd). With monickers like these, you just know it all derives (badly) from a Dean R Koontz book.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls: 4