this role that Sylvester Stallone still regrets having refused

This Friday January 10, France 5 broadcasts Witness by Peter Weir. But if it is one of the most notable films starring Harrison Ford, the actor might not have appeared in it if Sylvester Stallone had accepted the role.

If some actors and actresses regret having accepted a role, often for the impact it may have had on their career, others sometimes regret having said no. Among them, Will Smith, who was approached to play Neo in the saga MatrixJohn Travolta, who refused the role of Forrest Gump in Robert Zemeckis’ film, but also Sylvester Stallone, who said no to the role of Inspector John Book in Witness by Peter Weir. Broadcast this Friday, January 10 on France 5, this film stars Harrison Ford in the role of an inspector responsible for investigating a murder committed in the toilets of a station with the only witness being a little boy. A role which allowed the actor to land his only Oscar nomination, and which Sylvester Stallone bitterly regrets.

Tipped to play Inspector John Book, the star of Rocky had in fact declined the offer, preferring to play the muscle and concentrate on the filming of Cobra. “It was one of the worst decisions of my life”he said several times. Mel Gibson, Clint Eastwood, Richard Gere and Jack Nicholson also refused to play the inspector in Witnessbefore Peter Weir chose Harrison Ford, then known worldwide for his roles in Star Wars et Indiana Jones. The following year, the actor found the director who offered him the main role of Mosquito Coast.

Viggo Mortensen’s first steps on screen

If Harrison Ford bursts the screen in Witnessthe film is also famous for marking Viggo Mortensen’s first steps on the big screen. Accustomed to the stage, the actor has had a series of bad experiences in Hollywood while he is regularly cut in editing, notably in Swing Shift by Jonathan Demme and The Purple Rose from Cairo by Woody Allen. Play Moses, a young Amish man, in Witnessallows him to get noticed, even if he had to wait The Indian Runner by Sean Penn in 1991 to really achieve notoriety.