Sean Connery an interesting tidbit...

[Guest Mole]

I found this quote from EW about Sean Connery and taking his role in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

 

"I got offered The Lord of the Rings, and I turned it down because I didn't understand it. I was offered The Matrix -- twice -- and I turned it down because I didn't understand it. I don't understand this movie, but I'll be damned if I'm going to turn it down."

 

It amazes me that he could of been in two movies that will be remembered for ever, and he turned down the role.

[Guest WrestlingDeacon]

Yeah, but he's in a bunch of other movies that will be remembered forever too.

 

Most A-list actors have a ton of films they either turned down or didn't get for whatever reason. Connery also could have been in Dressed to Kill among others. The laundry list of movies that Burt Reynolds could have been in is longer than your arm (Planet of the Apes, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, The Godfather, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Terms of Endearment, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Rosemary's Baby, Tucker: A Man and his Dream, Soapdish and James Bond before Moore took it.)

 

I'm guessing Connery would have been Gandalf in Lord of the Rings and Morpheus in the Matrix.

[Guest Mole]

Yeah, but the just the fact he turned it down because he didn't understand it boggles my mind.

[Guest Nanks]

Connery as Morpheus?!?!?! Are you mad, child??? Why in Christ's name would you cast someone Connery's age as Morpheus???? I can't imagine what role he could have in The Matrix other than The Architect, or perhaps an agent. But Smith's the only one that matters, and Hugo Weaving owns as him.

[Guest Mole]

Connery could pull it off, he was James Bond.

[Guest HollywoodSpikeJenkins]

Connery as Morpheus?!?!?! Are you mad, child??? Why in Christ's name would you cast someone Connery's age as Morpheus???? I can't imagine what role he could have in The Matrix other than The Architect, or perhaps an agent. But Smith's the only one that matters, and Hugo Weaving owns as him.

Yeah, I thought of him as the Architect.

[Guest Nanks]

Keyword: was

 

He's old now. I love him, but he could never of pulled off Morpheus at his age. He couldn't have physically taken the role.

[Guest Mole]

He did League which looked very physical.

[Guest Nanks]

Punches and a couple of throws maybe. Morpheus' fight scenes are pretty mad, Connery could never ever have pulled off the kung fu type moves. And can you imagine Connery in Fishburne's place addressing the crowd in Zion?!?!

[Guest The Tino Standard]

Yeah, but he's in a bunch of other movies that will be remembered forever too.

 

Most A-list actors have a ton of films they either turned down or didn't get for whatever reason. Connery also could have been in Dressed to Kill among others. The laundry list of movies that Burt Reynolds could have been in is longer than your arm (Planet of the Apes, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, The Godfather, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Terms of Endearment, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Rosemary's Baby, Tucker: A Man and his Dream, Soapdish and James Bond before Moore took it.)

 

I'm guessing Connery would have been Gandalf in Lord of the Rings and Morpheus in the Matrix.

Out of curiosity, what role was Burt Reynolds up for in the Godfather?

[Guest Cover of Darkness]

Nanks, Connery practically invented the "older, wiser, mentor" role. If anyone could have done Morpheus better then Fishburne; it's Connery.

[Guest Cover of Darkness]

Oh and Deacon is incorrect about James Bond.

 

UA wanted him considered, but EON immeadiatly rejected it.

 

Interestingly enough, Adam West was offered the part of 007 in OHMSS but turned it down because he was American.

[Guest tank_abbott]

Yeah, but he's in a bunch of other movies that will be remembered forever too.

 

Most A-list actors have a ton of films they either turned down or didn't get for whatever reason. Connery also could have been in Dressed to Kill among others. The laundry list of movies that Burt Reynolds could have been in is longer than your arm (Planet of the Apes, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, The Godfather, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Terms of Endearment, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Rosemary's Baby, Tucker: A Man and his Dream, Soapdish and James Bond before Moore took it.)

 

I'm guessing Connery would have been Gandalf in Lord of the Rings and Morpheus in the Matrix.

Dude Burt Reynolds and Wrestling knowlege? You may very well be me from some other time. I own 50 + Burt films, 2 copies of his Biography, and other various "collectiables" of him. and I've watched wrestling for 20 years... WOW

[Guest tank_abbott]

Oh and Deacon is incorrect about James Bond.

 

UA wanted him considered, but EON immeadiatly rejected it.

 

Interestingly enough, Adam West was offered the part of 007 in OHMSS but turned it down because he was American.

I'm not sure what those abreviations stand for, but Burt was without a doubt offered a role as Bond... I'm pretty sure he mentions it in his biography

[Guest ArkhamGlobe]

As far as I remember, Guy Hamilton, the director of Live and Let Die, wanted Burt Reynolds for the part, but Albert R Broccoli said no. Atleast I think that's what Guy Hamilton says on the Live and Let Die DVD.

[moral suasion 0]

When I saw the trailer for LXG, I though it was an Indiana Jones spinoff.

 

Ian McKellen would kick Connery's ass as Gandalf. I think Connery would have probably been Theoden.

 

I also think that Connery would have been distracting as the Architect. One of the coolest things about the Matrix franchise is that it made all its star power by itself.

Edited May 18, 2003 by moral suasion

[Guest WrestlingDeacon]

Burt was up for Tom Hagen in the Godfather, the part went to Robert Duvall because they just liked him better from the screen tests. Jack Nicholson was up Michael and he passed, because he didn't feel he was 'Italian enough' for the role.

 

I'm not sure how far the James Bond thing went, but Burt does mention it in his autobiography. I'm a huge Burt fan, plus I'm fascinated by who was up for certain roles and didn't play them for whatever reason.

 

You guys act like Laurence Fishburne is some sort of superhero kung fu master. Most of the stunts from the Matrix were cgi and there are such things as stunt men. Connery has made action films in the past ten years (The Rock, Entrapment) that required a lot of physical acitivity and he's always been a very physical actor. And if you have a problem with Connery addressing disgruntled, dirty masses and encouraging them to fight against the oppressers you have apparently never seen Robin and Marion or Zardoz.

 

And when I was looking some stuff up just now, I found that Connery was indeed offered the Gandalf role, but couldn't find who they wanted him for in the Matrix

[Guest The Tino Standard]

I like Burt Reynolds, but in no way shape or form can I picture him as Tom Hagen. Same with Jack as Michael Corleone.

[Guest Cover of Darkness]

Oh and Deacon is incorrect about James Bond.

 

UA wanted him considered, but EON immeadiatly rejected it.

 

Interestingly enough, Adam West was offered the part of 007 in OHMSS but turned it down because he was American.

I'm not sure what those abreviations stand for, but Burt was without a doubt offered a role as Bond... I'm pretty sure he mentions it in his biography

UA = United Artists, the MGM sub division the distributes the 007 pictures.

 

EON = Albert R. Broccoli's Production company, responsible for the production of 007 films.

 

The official line from EON is quite simple: UA brought him up as a possibility (Because he was big at the time.) and it was struck down after Broccoli saw his screen tests and said he couldn't do an accent. Anything father then that is speculation, and in this case I'm more inclined to believe EON, who have no reason to lie, then Burt who has been known to tell a tall tale on occaision.

[Guest Mole]

Burt was up for Tom Hagen in the Godfather, the part went to Robert Duvall because they just liked him better from the screen tests. Jack Nicholson was up Michael and he passed, because he didn't feel he was 'Italian enough' for the role.

Jack could of been in Godfather? Wow, he could of pulled it off, but Al was perfect for the role.

[Guest Marshall]

Did you know Morpheus was offered to Will Smith!?!? The mind boggles. And Ewan McGregor was offered Neo!! It would have been a different movie.

[Guest LaParkaMarka]

Did you know Morpheus was offered to Will Smith!?!? The mind boggles. And Ewan McGregor was offered Neo!! It would have been a different movie.

You know, I can't even think of Neo as anyone other than Reeves now. Odd, eh? I mean, McGregor in the "Rescuing Morpheus" sequence from Matrix 1...I'm not sure if it would have worked as well.

 

And Smith as Morpheus is just wrong. So is Connery...he would be the Architect, or maybe the Councilor guy that Neo chatted with.

[Guest Cover of Darkness]

Did you know Morpheus was offered to Will Smith!?!? The mind boggles. And Ewan McGregor was offered Neo!! It would have been a different movie.

You know, I can't even think of Neo as anyone other than Reeves now. Odd, eh? I mean, McGregor in the "Rescuing Morpheus" sequence from Matrix 1...I'm not sure if it would have worked as well.

 

And Smith as Morpheus is just wrong. So is Connery...he would be the Architect, or maybe the Councilor guy that Neo chatted with.

No, Connery is all wrong because you've seen Fishburne do it, and accepted him as the one and only Morpheus. Connery would have been excellent in the role.

[Guest godthedog]

I like Burt Reynolds, but in no way shape or form can I picture him as Tom Hagen.  Same with Jack as Michael Corleone.

no way, i can SO picture jack doing his "i'm not gonna hurtcha" thing in his speech with connie's husband:

 

"...Only don't lie to me! Because it insults--my--intelligence! It makes me very--angry!"

 

tell me you can't picture jack chewing up the scenery, pacing around the room & getting all up in the guy's face with a big evil grin.

 

and ewan as neo would've ruled it.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

Ian McKellen had my favorite line ever in a movie. "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!" Nothing that has ever been said has been meant as much as that sentence.

 

I believe Connery was offered the role of Magneto in the first X-Men movie. I think I might have preferred him in that role.

[Guest PORNFAQ]

Nanks, Connery practically invented the "older, wiser, mentor" role. If anyone could have done Morpheus better then Fishburne; it's Connery.

Well, if ALL Connery was required to play was "older, wiser mentor" maybe.

 

No, Connery is all wrong because you've seen Fishburne do it, and accepted him as the one and only Morpheus. Connery would have been excellent in the role.

But since the role calls for INTENSIVE physicality, I don't think Connery would be right for the part at all and you sound fucking stupid trying to insist he would. Maybe 20 years ago, but not today. Get over it, Connery mark.

[Guest CanadianChris]

Burt Reynolds as Indiana Jones? The mind boggles.

[Guest tank_abbott]

Burt was the same age as harrison ford (roughly) and Burt was known a some one willing to play physical roles, plus burt was still a A lister (though a declining one) at that point.

 

Wasn't Burt up for Hans Solo as well?

[Guest Choken One]

nope...It was Nick FN Nolte...

[Guest Nevermortal]

Well, this thread is moot because the role he was actually offered was that of Trinity.

 

Mmm....old Scottish Men in Latex....