We've been seeing an upswing in horror recently, whether that's revivals of classics (like the recent Invisible Man) or new and complex stories (like Jordan Peele's Get Out). The horror genre has had some fascinating productions not to mention acting performances, and some of the best performances come from the villains.
From Freddy Krueger to Jack Torrance and beyond, there are some horror villains brought to life perfectly, and it's hard to see anyone else embodying those parts the same way. But Hollywood is Hollywood after all; a lot of these actors weren't the first choices, and what's iconic today could have been very different if directors or studios got their way. So let's look at some of those folks who missed out!
Eddie Murphy as Candyman (Candyman)
As bizarre as it sounds, Eddie Murphy was the top pick to play the title role in 1992's Candyman. It's unclear why he passed on the part, though rumors say he demanded a higher salary. Not surprising as he was still one of the biggest movie stars on the planet.
Tony Todd's imposing height and booming voice are what makes Candyman such a fearsome villain, and Murphy, who's shorter than Todd and doesn't have nearly as scary a voice, might not have done the same. That's not saying he could have brought something different to the part (or led to him doing more dramatic roles early in his career) but we think Todd did it justice. Hopefully, Murphy gets another shot at a horror movie other than Vampire in Brooklyn.
Tiffany Haddish as Georgina (Get Out)
Comedian Tiffany Haddish worked with Jordan Peele on 2016's Keanu, and Peele offered her the chance to audition for his next film, the very different tonally Get Out. After reading the script, Haddish decided to pass, saying in an interview with Seth Myers: "I was like, 'Aw man. Look, I don't do scary movies, dog, I don't do that. You know, that's demonized kind of stuff. I don't let that in my house.'"
Clearly horror's not in Haddish's wheelhouse, though she's stepped out of her comfort zone in dramas like last year's The Kitchen. While it's unknown what role she passed on, narrowing it down makes it seem like Georgina, the Armitage family's maid who's later revealed to be possessed by their grandmother. Betty Gabriel really stole the show with her performance, so Haddish had nothing to worry about in regards to passing on the role.
Jean-Claude Van Damme as the Predator (Predator)
The first Predator remains a staple of the action/horror genre, introducing the world to the fearsome species of alien trophy hunters. While the Predator's unique design still stands out, it almost looked very different, and a familiar face was almost inside that suit. The Predator was initially designed to be more of a ninja-like fighter, and martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme, not as well known at the time, was chosen for the role.
While Van Damme got the impression that he could move freely once inside the suit, that wasn't the case: the costume was incredibly heavy for the actor to fight, let alone move in, and too hot inside. Van Damme was let go from the film and replaced by the more physically imposing Kevin Peter Hall. You can get a look at Van Damme's suit and the original Predator design here.
Jodie Foster as Margaret White (Carrie, 2013)
2013's adaptation of Carrie couldn't hold a candle to Brian De Palma's 1976 classic. That's disappointing, especially when it has a game cast including Chloe Grace Moretz in the lead and Julianne Moore as her psychotic mother Margaret. Early on in development though, Jodie Foster, no stranger to horror roles, was considered for Margaret.
It would have been interesting to see how she would have done here, playing a villain instead of a victim. Funny enough, Moore replaced Foster as Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs sequel Hannibal.
Sean Connery as Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs)
Speaking of The Silence of the Lambs, the role of the serial killer and psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter was a role director Jonathan Demme first spoke to Sean Connery about playing.
While the former James Bond has given great performances in several genres, he hasn't done much horror-wise, and perhaps that dive into unknown territory turned the actor off the role. Demme also considered Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Derek Jacobi for the part before casting Anthony Hopkins, who embodied it perfectly.
Justin Whalin as Billy Loomis (Scream)
While most might recognize Whalin as Jimmy Olsen from Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, he's dipped his toes in the horror genre before as a teenage Andy Barclay in the divisive Child's Play 3. As it turns out, he came pretty close to nabbing another young horror character, Billy Loomis, one of the faces behind Ghostface's mask in Scream.
Skeet Ulrich nails the role, bringing just the right amount of likable charm and viciousness. Had Whalin been cast, it's possible his more boyish looks could have helped to mask Billy's true intentions, though it's hard to see him pulling off the sociopathic anger that Ulrich oozes.
Tilda Swinton as Pennywise the Dancing Clown (It, 2017)
All eyes were on director Andy Muschietti when it came to casting Pennywise for his adaptation of Stephen King's It. Tim Curry's iconic, devilish performance from the 1990 miniseries would be hard to top, and reportedly Tilda Swinton was considered.
Swinton was unable to shoot the film at the time of filming, but it's intriguing to think of the versatile British actress taking on this character. It could have made for a very different film than we got, which isn't a bad thing. Even though Swinton didn't play Pennywise, we still got a phenomenal version of the character thanks to Bill Skarsgard's performance.
David Warner as Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street)
Renowned English actor David Warner was originally cast to play A Nightmare on Elm Street's dream-dweller Freddy Krueger and had even done makeup tests, but dropped out at the last minute due to scheduling conflicts.
While Robert Englund has become synonymous with the role, Warner's gravitas and commanding voice certainly fit with the more threatening Freddy from the first film, though not as much as with the more comedic interpretation from the later films. Here's a look at Warner's makeup design.
Leonardo DiCaprio as Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)
Director Mary Harron only had Christian Bale in mind for the role of Wall Street yuppie Patrick Bateman in 2000's adaptation of American Psycho, though Lionsgate wanted Leonardo DiCaprio for the part instead. Harron didn't want DiCaprio, as the actor's status teen idol status at the time didn't jive with the horror tone she was going for, not to mention that he looked too young. The director stood her ground, eventually getting to cast Bale, with his performance and the film winning cult status.
DiCaprio definitely wasn't crazy about his teen idol phase, as it prevented him from being considered for parts he was interested in like this one. While Bale's performance is untouchable, DiCaprio has since gone on to play similarly intense roles like in The Wolf of Wall Street.
Robin Williams as Jack Torrance (The Shining)
When casting Jack Torrance for The Shining, director Stanley Kubrick considered Robin Williams at one point; the story goes that Kubrick was set on Williams until he watched an episode of the actor's TV series at the time, Mork and Mindy, and found the actor "too psychotic" for the role, casting Jack Nicholson instead.
Williams at this point was still considered a comedic actor, though had The Shining been made closer to when he started taking more dramatic roles it would have been interesting to see him in this film. It's hard to say if he could have defied expectations and played Jack as closer to the novel (an average joe whose descent into madness is shocking, rather than being crazy from the beginning, as many found with Nicholson's portrayal) but he could have done pretty well here regardless.