- Paul McGann, Empire of the Sun, 1987. Passed due a National Theatre stint. Made up for it. After seeing his third Tony Award-winning performance in Twelfth Night,. Steven Spielberg used him four consecutive films: Bridge of Spies, 2015; The BFG, 2015; The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara, 2016; and Ready Player One, 2016.
- Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man, 2008. He was on his way to winning the first of his three Tony awards – for Boeing-Boeing of all plays (a Shakesperean in an old Jerry Lewis role!), when the brothers Coen asked him to test. “I so loved their work. I went up for the auditions and got within three people for the part… I was really depressed [no one knew as he looks sad and depressed all the time], I really wanted to be in that film.” Stuhlbarg, from Long Beach, constantly plays real people, notably Edward Hopper in two 2012 shorts (La Muse and Hopper Stories) and Arnold Rothstein in Boardwalk Empire.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 2