Recasting Couch
Gene Hackman as Costello
In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:24:35Read transcript
- Recasting Costello is raised early: this is not a good Nicholson performance given expectations, and failing to get an Oscar nomination at his stature means something went wrong.
- The part needs real weight and prestige, a Brando Godfather type; Daniel DeLois and Sean Penn are too young, Jimmy Con and Duval too old, and Gandalfini is not Irish.
- Nicholson was at the tail end of his career, like Magic Johnson in 1996; the movie might be tighter without his indulgences, but it is hard to conceive without him; in A Few Good Men every choice was perfect, here he is all over the place.
- Hackman is proposed and liked: imposing, has played bastards, never worked with Scorsese, though he may have checked out by then; one participant would rather roll the dice with Hackman.
- James Badge Dale was not famous enough to register as the guy from earlier; the counterpoint is that it works because it is someone the audience does not know.
- Ryan Gosling is rejected; Jake Gyllenha and Keith Ledger are floated, but a star disappearing for two hours would be distracting, and Badge Dale is legit good.
- They settle on Gene Hackman as Costello.
- Hackman might refuse certain things, whereas Nicholson brought chaos such as the cocaine and a vibrator.