Mrs. Doubtfire. The genius. Alan Parrish. Patch Adams. mork. These are just some of the roles played by the late actor and comedian Robin Williams. Throughout his long career, Williams succeeded in both comedy and drama and has been responsible for many great roles and movies. Still, there are some iconic and surprising roles he didn’t get. Many of these seemed like natural adaptations for his abilities, while others may have failed. Here are ten big roles Robin Williams didn’t get or turned down.
10 Jack Torrance – The Radiant (1980)
- Warner Bros./Columbia-EMI-Warner Distributors
When casting The shining, about a family tormented in a hotel, director Stanley Kubrick considered casting Williams as Jack, a writer who loses his mind. The studio and book writer Stephen King did not like the consideration and the part went to Jack Nicholson. When Williams was still early in his career and known for comedy, he was admittedly an odd choice. While it would have showcased Williams’ dramatic abilities much sooner, it’s hard to envision the movie with anyone other than Nicholson.
9 Voice of Howard – Howard the Duck (1986)
Howard the Duck tells the story of Howard, a duck who lands on Earth and must return home. Chip Zien is the voice of Howard, but the role was originally played by Williams. When recording his dialogue, Williams found that the puppet’s movements had been filmed to match the puppeteer reading the lines. This meant Williams couldn’t improvise or give the character much personality. Frustrated, Williams quit the film after three days. It’s interesting to wonder if Williams could have helped the movie, which was widely panned.
8 Ned – Three Amigos (1986)
Steven Spielberg originally intended to make Three amigos, about silent movie stars who were mistaken for heroes in the early 1980s. The cast he had in mind were Bill Murray, Steve Martin and Williams. Spielberg created ET instead, and when the film was made by John Landis a few years later, only Martin remained. Ned, the role planned for Williams, would go to Martin Short. The casting was perfect, but Williams would have done just as well with his comedic skills in a movie with strong comedians.
7 Jonathan – Midnight Walk (1988)
Midnight run is a buddy comedy starring Robert De Niro as Jack, a bounty hunter who must capture Jonathan, an accountant played by Charles Grodin. Williams wanted to play Jonathan and auditioned for the part. However, Grodin had already done some screen tests with De Niro, and director Martin Brest enjoyed their chemistry so much that he kept them both. This probably would have played a big role for Williams, though the movie looks great as it is.
6 The Joker – Batman (1989)
Batman is the second time Williams lost a role to Jack Nicholson. When casting the villain, Williams lobbied hard for the Joker, but Nicholson was the studio’s first choice. When Nicholson failed to respond, the studio offered the role to Williams. SlashFilm shared that Williams thought they had offered him the role to force Nicholson to respond, and never intended to cast him. It worked and Nicholson would receive high praise for his performance. Years later, when the role of the Riddler was offered Batman foreverWilliams turned it down because of what happened to the Joker.
5 Joe-Philadelphia (1993)
Philadelphia stars Tom Hanks as Andy, a gay man who hires Joe (Denzel Washington), a lawyer, to sue his employers for firing him because of his AIDS diagnosis. With such a serious movie, director Jonathan Demme originally considered casting a comedian to offset the drama. His top picks were Williams and Bill Murray, but when Washington became available, he got the part. Williams had shown his strength in dramatic roles with Dead Poets Associationand could have succeeded in the drama and comedy.
4 Hagrid and Lupine – Harry Potter (2001-2011)
Harry Potter is one of the biggest franchises ever, and Williams was eager to be included in the boy wizard story. When casting started for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Williams expressed an interest in playing Hagrid, the gamekeeper. Yahoo even shared that with director Chris Columbus thought he would have done well. Williams didn’t get it for one simple reason: the creative team only wanted British actors. Despite this, Williams reached out to play Remus Lupine The Prisoner of Azkaban, and was rejected for the same reason. Hagrid was to be played by Robbie Coltrane, while Lupine went to David Thewlis.
3 Willy Wonka – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Tim Burton’s adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is known for its great visual appeal and dark tone. The lead role of Willy Wonka, owner of a candy factory, is played by Johnny Depp. Many actors were considered in the early stages, including Williams, before Burton went with his frequent collaborator. Williams would have been different from Depp, but he would probably fit in well, with plenty of comedic and improvisational opportunities in the film.
2 Frank – Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Little Miss Sunshine follows a dysfunctional family traveling across the country to take Olive (Abigail Breslin) to an election. One of the relatives is Olive’s uncle, Frank (Steve Carell), a scholar who recently attempted suicide. In the film’s early stages, the part was written for Bill Murray, and Williams was also largely desired. Although Carell was now popular, he was a risk at the time; when filming started, The office had not premiered and he was not very well known. Still, he got the role after meeting the directors and understanding their ideas.
1 Harvey Milk – Milk (2008)
Another serious role Williams almost got was Harvey Milk, California’s first openly gay elected official, in the biopic Milk. Ideas for the film began in the 1990s and Williams was attached to star. Williams remained attached when director Gus Van Sant joined the project, but in the years it took to get started, Williams moved on. The role would go to Sean Penn, who won an Oscar for Best Actor. Williams, who won an Oscar in 2008 Good Will Huntingmight have also won the award if he had been given the part.