Casting What-Ifs
Jack Nicholson as Norman Dale; Harry Dean Stanton as Shooter
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:54Read transcript
- Jack Nicholson wanted to play Coach Dale, but a lawsuit sidelined him for six months, so the production went with Hackman.
- Nicholson later told the director that with him as the star it would have been a mega hit.
- One view agrees it would have been a bigger movie with Nicholson, then one of the biggest stars, though he would seem to want to get drunk with Shooter.
- Hackman is more believable, and after 35 years the role can't be reimagined with Jack; Nicholson might have played it scaled back like Terms of Endearment.
- Harry Dean Stanton turned down Shooter, which led to Hopper, and later expressed regret.