Certain actors seem to be perfect for certain movie roles. But what happens if a movie comes too early or too late for a particular actor to be cast in that perfect role? When the movie is produced, the perfect actor might be too young or too old — or even deceased.
I was thinking about this as I watched Dune 2. From the first moment that Javier Bardem appeared on screen, I realized that I was watching the reincarnation of Anthony Quinn.
If the film had been made with the same vision half a century ago, Quinn would certainly have been cast in the role of Stilgar. The essence of the two actors when playing that kind of role is practically identical.
And you could say the same about the casting of Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck. If the movie had been made thirty years earlier, that role would have gone to Kris Kristofferson. When playing that sort of role, the two men are eerily similar.
Here’s an idea for a project: Make a comprehensive chart of such actor parallels throughout Hollywood history.