- Adam Coleman Howard, Slaves of New York, 1989. Seen by US director James Ivory on casting man Howard Feur’s say-so – “believe me, he’s nothing like he was in Full Metal Jacket.” D’Onofrio was being offered nothing but fat killers. “None of them were any good, just repeats. It took me nine months to lose the (70 lbs) weight. I still have to work at it. My body will never be the same as it was. I have to exercise more, watch what I eat more, be more conscious of my health – the doctors had warned me about that.” He still did it again, gaining 45 lbs for The Salton Sea, 2002.
- Eric Stolz, The Fly II, 1989. His tests did not go well. Stolz said the same of the script and only signed on after it was revamped.
- Bill Campbell, The Rocketeer, 1990. Kevin Costner, Johnny Depp, Emilio Estevez, Matthew Modine, Bill Paxton, Dennis Quaid, Kurt Russell were also in the Disney frame for Cliff Secord flying around 30s’ LA in Alan Arkin’s rocket backpack. When interviewing Campbell – in Paris for the opening – he told me he’d spent the previous night climbing the North face of… Notre Dame cathedral! For fun. Not a camera in sight.
- William Forsythe, The Waterdance, 1992. Wesley Snipes alone remained of the originally suggested trio.
- Peter Gallagher, Short Cuts, 1993. He had, after all, been in The Player for Altman the year before. (And, for a change, not as Orson Welles).
- James Spader, Supernova, 1998. “All hell is about to break loose,” screamed the poster. It already had… Director Thomas Malone called it Dead Star, in 1990 – with HR Giger artwork. D’Onofrio and his director Geoffrey Wright quit after two months. Alien producer Walter Hill fled when refused money for effects. (Yeah, you heard, no special effects for a sci-fi movie!). Jack Sholder was hired to save it and couldn’t. Hill was called back. $5m for effects? Nah! Bye! Francis Coppola, no less, rushed to the rescue it and he also failed. Not surprising when he fabricated Spader and Angera Basset having zero-gravity sex, by taking a scene of Peter Facinelli and Robin Tunney doing likewise, and darkening Tunney’s skin to match Basset’s. Welcome to the Francey Coppola Black and White Minstrel Show! PS First film signed by Thomas Lee… the new Allen Smithee pseudonym.
- Steve Buscemi, Monsters, Inc, 2000. The UK Red Dwarf space comedy star Chris Barrie was in the frame with Hollywoodians D’Onofrio and Jeff Goldblum to voice the villainous Randall Boggs in yet another marvellous Pixar toon.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 7