Michael Corleone – The Godfather – Jack Nicholson. Cult roles almost played by somebody else
- Cult Roles Almost Played by Somebody Else
- Finn – Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Tom Holland
- Steve Rogers – Captain America: The First Avenger – John Krasinski
- Peter Parker – Spider-man: Homecoming – Timothée Chalamet
- Will Turner – Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – Tom Hiddleston
- Daenerys Targaryen – Game of Thrones – Elisabeth Olsen
- James Bond – Casino Royale – Henry Cavill
- Neo – Matrix – Will Smith
- Vivian Ward – Pretty Woman – Michelle Pfeiffer
- Maximus – Gladiator – Mel Gibson
- Superman – Superman Lives – Nicolas Cage
- Han Solo – Star Wars: A New Hope – Al Pacino
- Michael Corleone – The Godfather – Jack Nicholson
- Aragorn – The Lord of the Rings – Daniel Day-Lewis
Michael Corleone – The Godfather – Jack Nicholson
Al Pacino is recognized today as one of the best actors of all time. Quite possibly, he wouldn't have had that reputation if it weren't for his initial appearances in two parts of The Godfather. As it turns out, Pacino did not get the role at first. It was Jack Nicholson that was Francis Coppola's first-choice actor – the director wanted him to perform Michael Corleone very much.
The director planned this movie in for weeks upon weeks, and Nicholson was the focal point of the entire project. But the actor passed the role of Michael – simply turned it down. He stated that he did not fit it ("Indians should play Indians, Italians should play Italians"). This upset the director's plans, but a replacement was quickly found – and it was Al Pacino. The rest is history...
Two years later, Jack Nicholson starred in Roman Polanski's masterpiece Chinatown (1974), where he created a great role of a detective reconciled with the surrounding nihilistic environment, and a year later, he received an Oscar for his role in the classic, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Was this a bad decision for him? Of course not. Nicholson won three Oscars, and today he doesn't have to do anything if he so pleases – which he does.
