Casting What-Ifs
Mark Strong nearly replaced Javier Bardem, while Heath Ledger, James Franco, Brad Pitt, and Garrett Dillahunt connect to the Llewelyn casting path.
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:51:51Read transcript
- Scheduling nearly forced Bardem to withdraw, with Mark Strong on standby. — Bill Simmons
- Heath Ledger was offered Llewelyn and declined to spend time with his daughter; James Franco also read, while Brolin’s audition was shot by Robert Rodriguez.
- Ledger could have carried the Texas role, but the panel prefers Brolin’s less star-coded fit. — Bill Hader
- Brad Pitt is imagined regretting the overlap with his Jesse James role, though his visibility would weaken the character illusion. — Bill Simmons
- Garrett Dillahunt auditioned five times for Llewelyn and instead became Bell’s deputy. — Bill Simmons