David Huddleston is retained as the right Big Lebowski after a list led by Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Anthony Hopkins, and Gene Hackman.
In the discussion (5)
- John Goodman and Steve Buscemi’s roles were written for them, while Jeffrey Lebowski drew the casting search.
- Marlon Brando was reportedly the Coens’ dream choice, but his improvisational production style could have disrupted the tightly scripted film.
- Robert Duvall reportedly disliked the script, Anthony Hopkins did not want to play an American, and Gene Hackman was taking an acting break.
- A second list reportedly included Norman Mailer, George C. Scott, Jerry Falwell, Gore Vidal, Andy Griffith, William F. Buckley, and Ernest Borgnine.
- The panel concludes that Huddleston was the right landing point.
Research covers Bunny’s Fargo-linked original surname, real-life composites for Walter and the Dude, and deleted backstories that would radically alter both leads.
In the discussion (3)
- The original script reportedly named Bunny/Fawn “Gunderson,” suggesting a connection to Fargo’s Marge Gunderson.
- Walter is partly based on John Milius, while Peter Exline, Jeff Dowd, Jeff Bridges, and Bridges’s acquaintances contributed to the Dude composite.
- Deleted or script-only material reportedly gave the Dude a Rubik’s Cube-related trust fund and revealed that Walter never served in Vietnam.
The landlord/dance-recital thread may be extraneous, the Busby Berkeley dream sequences are skippable for some, and the sudden ending initially denies narrative closure.
In the discussion (3)
- The Dude’s landlord is an extra thread, though “give me notes” and the recital setting justify his presence.
- The long dream sequences are treated as referential acid-flashback material that some viewers skip.
- The film ends before first-time viewers understand the fate of the MacGuffins, Bunny, or the Dude’s possible child, though the lack of closure improves with familiarity.
Casting What-Ifs