Broadway thespian, SNL hall of famer, big shot movie star and #1 paparazzi target Alec Baldwin has done more with the Baldwin name than his his brothers have combined. (Next to Samuel L. Jackson, I don’t think there’s an actor who has worked more than Alec Baldwin. The guy’s IMDB page is ridiculous.) Even with the power of perfect Baldwin hair, there are a few roles that Alec Baldwin has missed out on — most notably continuing the Jack Ryan franchise.
In celebration of Alec Baldwin’s 56th birthday, I’ve compiled a list of 10 roles that the actor almost had, but either lost or turned down.
1. Ghost — Baldwin, along with Bruce Willis, was in consideration for the part of Sam Wheat that would go to Patrick Swayze.
2. The Godfather Part III — Baldwin was considered to play the role of Vincent in the final chapter of the Godfather saga, but the part went to his doppelganger Andy Garcia instead.
3. JFK — Baldwin was up for the starring role of Jim Garrison, but lost the part to Kevin Costner.
4. Patriot Games — Baldwin was cut from his Jack Ryan role over scheduling disagreements with a studio executive after he expressed interest in doing a theater production of A Streetcar Named Desire. The part of course was given to Harrison Ford.
5. The Fugitive — Alec Baldwin again lost a great lead role to Harrison Ford the following year when Ford beat him out for the part of Dr. Richard Kimble.
6. The Insider — Baldwin was up for the lead role of Jeffrey Wigand, but the part ultimately went to Russell Crowe.
7. Memento — Christopher Nolan’s first choice for the lead role of Leonard was Baldwin, but the actor wasn’t available at the time and the part went to Guy Pierce.
8. Vanilla Sky — Alec Baldwin was considered for Kurt Russell’s part of Dr. Curtis, but took a part in Pearl Harbor instead.
9. Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy — Baldwin was actually casting’s first choice to play rival news anchor Fran Vitchard, but the part went to Luke Wilson.
10. Grand Theft Auto — In the early 2000s, Rockstar Games contacted Baldwin about doing the voice of a mobster on one of the Grand Theft Auto games. According to Baldwin, he was offered a ridiculous amount of money for one day’s work, but declined the offer because of the character’s cop killer background.