- John Savage, Hair, 1978. Czech director Milos Forman, succeeding George Lucas at the helm, saw many potential Claudes, including the UK rocker.
- Mel Gibson, The Bounty, 1983. Yes, Anaïs, there was a time when Gibson was a mere second choice after Sting – worried by the excessive shooting schedule. Another UK singer, David Essex, was also seen for Fletcher Christian… previously played by Clark Gable, 1934, and Marlon Brando, 1961.
- Christophe(r) Lambert, Subway, France, 1985. “My job is being a musician. I just make films for fun, really.” When the new, hot auteur, Luc Besson, reported Sting’s interest in the film (and at a reduced salry), the Gaumont boss, Toscan du Plantier, said: “Who is Sting?” “I realised,” said Besson, “that Toscan was more into Mozart than Police.”
- David Bowie, Labyrinth, 1985. FFor (alas) his final film as a director, Muppeteer-in-Chief Jim Henson wondered who should portray the Goblin King Jareth – actor or a rock star? Michael Gothard, Kevin Kline or Simon MacCorkindale versus Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger or Prince. Henson voted Sting. (after Dune?) But his kids said Bowie, Bowie, Bowie, Bowie, Bowie! (Five kids; one, Brian, was voicing Hoggle). And the thin, white Major Tom fell for the entire dreamworld concept, it was funnier than he’d expected. Well, the humour of Terry Jones of the Monty Pythons was on certain pages. The kids now run the Henson combine.
- Christopher Walken, A View To A Kill, 1985.
- Rutger Hauer, The Hitcher, 1985. Before the Dutch star was chosen, the titular serial killer was described in the script(s) as “skeletal” in nature – like Sting, David Bowie, Sam Shepard, Terence Stamp and Harry Dean Stanton.
- Michael Sarrazin, Mascara, Belgian Netherlands, France, 1986. Belgian director Patrick Conrad had Sting set for the kinky police commissioner in this S&M style Orpheus, When shooting was delayed, he had to go on tour and Canada’s Sarrazin enter the transvestite scene.
- Christopher Lloyd, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, 1987. A double loss for por Sting. Lloyd usurped his hopes of playing the toon Judge Doom (he never blinks) – and the song he wrote for the wrap credits was scrapped, when Disney insisted on a more upbeat finale. Other Doom wannabes included John Cleese, Tim Curry, John Cusack, Roddy McDowell, Jpn Pertwee, Robin Williams. And Christopher Lee passed. Originally, Doom was accompanied by seven dwarfs, er, weasels. Named Greasy, Sleazy, Wheezy, Smartass, Psycho, Stupid, and Slimey.
- Peter Sellars, King Lear, 1987. The contract for bilious auteur Jean-Luc Godard to tackle Shakespeare was signed (an hour after it had been mooted) on a large napkin at the Majestic Hotel bar during the 1985 Cannes festival. The film was just as ridiculous. Godard asked everyone to joinwhat he later detested- from Orson Welles to Richard M Nixon. Invites were also mailed to Prince (who, like Ingmar Bergman, never replied) and a mostenthusiastic Sting. William Shakespeare Jr finally became Sellars, a stage and opera director minus any acting talentto match that of his near namesake.
- David Bowie, The Last Temptation of Christ, 1987. In the five years between Paramount lowering the boom and raising fresh backing, director Martin Scorsese lost Sting as Pilate. “He was busy on one of the Amnesty tours and though we tried to work something out between his dates, we couldn’t. However, I’d always wanted to work with David Bowie and he ended up flying to Morocco and doing his scene in one day.” (Two other singers were involved at the Sting time: Ray Davies (of The Kinks) as Judas, Vanity for Mary Magdalene).
- Richard Gere, Pretty Woman, 1990.
- Iain Glenn, Rosencrantz & Guilderstern Are Dead, 1990. Production delays cost him the, for once, not so central role of… Hamlet.
- Gary Oldman, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, 1992. Director Francis Coppola decided to make the old legend “younger, very erotic, very romantic and very horrific.” Losing his favourites – Jeremy Irons, Daniel Day-Lewis – Francey looked at everyone else, mainly during auditions at his Napa Valley estate… Sting, Armand Assante, Antonio Banderas, Nick Cassavetes, Nicolas Cage, Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Andy Garcia, Hugh Grant, Ray Liotta, Kyle MacLachlan, Viggo Mortensen, Dermot Mulroney, Michael Nouri (a long way from Flashdance), Adrian Pasdar, Jason Patric, Aiden Quinn, Keanu Reeves, Alan Rickman, Christian Slater.
- Eric Roberts, Doctor Who (The Movie), TV, 1996. Hollywood goes Who. Why? For the pilot of a USeries to exhume the BBC science-fiction cult, buried since since it ran out of puff after 26 seasons in 1989. As if to prove this was big deal Hollywood (!) in action, some 63 actors were listed for Doc8 and a further 71 (well, some were on both lists) for his foe, The Master. Such as James Bond, Dracula, Gandhi, Freddy Krueger, Magnum, Spock versus rock supremos Sting, David Bowie, Phil Collins, Chris Isaak, Mick Jagger.
- Michael Sheen, Wilde, 1997. And Oscar went to…Sheen after Stingwas stung by another contract and had no time for a cameo as one of Oscar Wilde’s lovers, Robbie Ross.In the title role, the gay Stephen Fry was nervous about love scenes with straight co-stars but Sheen, Ioan Gruffud and Jude Law treated him with due care and attention.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Gordon SumnerUsual occupation: SingerCasting Calls: 15