Paul Newman + Anthony Quinn both wanted to play Yossarian

Anthony Quinn took Joseph Heller to lunch after tne novel was published and won acclaim and told him he wanted to play Yossarian, but feared he was too old. Heller told him he wrote the part with him in mind, though he says he just said it, probably due to being flattered by the attentions of Quinn, who was an international movie star a double Oscar-winner (and Best Actor nominee in 1965 for ZORBA THE GREEK).

Paul Newman as Yossarian is a far more interesting possibility, but Paul's great shtick was playing the Trickster (The Huslter, Hud, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy), not Everyman.

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"Why do people always laugh in the wrong places?"
--Christian Brando