Tim Curry says iconic villain role that slipped…
Tim Curry has performed some of cinema’s most unforgettable characters, but the actor just lately revealed that one role he never landed still haunts him.
During an look on “The Academy” YouTube channel, Curry, 79, mirrored on his profession of over 5 many years, sharing he’s still disenchanted that he was never even thought-about for one iconic half.
“One of my great regrets is that I read the script of ‘Silence of the Lambs’ and I desperately wanted to play Hannibal Lecter,” Curry said.
“My agent couldn’t get me in the room, but Tony Hopkins did a great job,” he admitted.
“The Silence of the Lambs,” which premiered on Valentine’s Day 1991, tells the story of Clarice Starling, an FBI cadet, who must resort to receiving help from incarcerated cannibal Hannibal Lecter to catch another serial killer. The psychological horror film starred Anthony Hopkins as Lecter and Jodie Foster as Starling.
The movie grossed more than $270 million worldwide and earned 5 Oscars, including best image, best actor for Hopkins and best actress for Foster. Hopkins went to reprise the role in Ridley Scott’s sequel film “Hannibal” (2001), and prequel movie “Red Dragon” (2002).
Anthony Hopkins, who performed Lecter, initially thought “Silence of the Lambs” was for youngsters. ©Orion Pictures Corp/Courtesy Everett Co / Everett Collection
Hopkins, who famously gave a new that means to fava beans and a good Chianti, told Variety that he initially thought “The Silence of the Lambs” was a film for youngsters – at least until he read the script.
“I was in London in 1989, doing a play called ‘M. Butterfly,’” he recalled. “My agent sent the script.”
After 10 pages, Hopkins immediately called his agent back, wanting to know if the offer to star in “Silence of the Lambs” was real.
“This is the best script I’ve ever read,” Hopkins declared at the time.
During an look at the 2015 Austin Film Festival, “The Silence of the Lambs” director Jonathan Demme recalled that Sean Connery was his first alternative to play Lecter but the James Bond star rejected the role after studying the script.
“Word came back shortly that he thought it was disgusting and wouldn’t dream of playing that part,” Demme remembered during an interview with Paul Thomas Anderson, via Deadline. “So, great, now we can go to Tony Hopkins.”
Demme explained that he believed Hopkins can be a great match for the role after being impressed with the actor’s efficiency as surgeon “Frederick Treves” in the 1980 historic drama “The Elephant Man.”
Actor Tim Curry, 79, regrets never being thought-about for the iconic role of Hannibal Lecter.
“It was so easy for me to see that Anthony would be a superb Dr. Lecter because he had been such an amazing good doctor in ‘The Elephant Man,’” Demme said. “He had been as believable a doctor as you can imagine, and he was good. What if you cast Anthony Hopkins in the part of Dr. Lecter, who is not the worst doctor, but he’s a… good doctor turned bad? That was my engine for Anthony Hopkins.”
Though Curry misplaced out on the prospect to play Lecter, the actor has portrayed a string of iconic characters. He rose to cult-icon standing as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in 1975’s “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” adopted by memorable turns as the malevolent clown Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries “It” and the butler Wadsworth in “Clue.”
Curry also left a lasting impression as the demonic “Darkness” in Legend, Rooster Hannigan in “Annie,” and Long John Silver in “Muppet Treasure Island.” He is also identified for his voice work including taking part in Nigel Thornberry in “The Wild Thornberrys.”
During his look on “The Academy” channel, Curry mentioned other roles for which he was thought-about but in the end didn’t land.
He famous that he auditioned for the burglar Marv in “Home Alone” after being approached by director Chris Columbus, who had bought two of Curry’s studio albums.
“I actually met Chris Columbus, who apparently had the only two albums of mine and was a bit of a fan. Nobody else had ever bought them,” he joked.
While the half of Marv in the end went to Daniel Stern, Columbus forged Curry as the Plaza Hotel concierge Mr. Hector in the sequel “Home Alone: 2.”
Curry also nearly performed Marv in “Home Alone” and Scar in “The Lion King.” ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection
Curry remembered working with a younger Macaulay Culkin, who performed the lead role of Kevin McAllister in both movies.
“Mac used to stay up watching late-night movies and fall asleep in the makeup chair,” he recalled. “I liked him. He was a very nice kid.”
Before Jeremy Irons was forged, Curry was thought-about for the role of the villainous lion Scar in the mega-hit 1994 Disney animated film “The Lion King.”
“That would have been nice,” Curry said.
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