Casting What-Ifs
Charles Bronson as Curly; Rick Moranis as Phil
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:01Read transcript
- By the account attributed to Crystal, Palance was the first choice but had another film; Charles Bronson was contacted and said no because the character dies; Palance then got out of the other movie.
- Crystal's story of Bronson on the phone insisting 'I don't die' is great given the movie turns on Curly dying, Palance won the Oscar, and Palance came back as a twin anyway.
- Bronson, younger than Palance but in the same Western-hero space, would have been good.
- Curly should not have died since the movie falls apart after; alternatives like a broken leg are floated, countered that Ganz and Mandel's rules require testing the main character.
- Rick Moranis was originally cast as Phil but left because his wife became ill with cancer; Stern was added about three weeks before filming, and Moranis left movies for 25 years, returning in a Honey, I Shrunk the Kids sequel said to be called Shrunk.