I had no idea they were originally slated to star in this movie. I don't think it could've been any better than it turned out in the end.
"'Extremely High Voltage.' Well, I don't need safety gloves, because I'm Homer Sim--" - Frank Grimes
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Yeah I don't see Wilder pulling off the Winthorpe character. He's just too whimsical an actor.
Hey! You're not old enough to drink! Now go and die for your country!!!
I agree, even when Wilder was playing mild mannered Leo Bloom in The Producers, you always got the sense there was that manic side just waiting to bubble to the surface.
Aykroyd has his whimsical and manic side as well, but as you saw on SNL, he could switch that off in an instant and become an uptight, smug business man.
Wilder is a genius, he always looks like he is ready to explode
shareExactly! In fact I think this role was perfect for him. He's one of the few actors that can be serious in a comedic way, like how he acted in 'Spies like Us'.
Hey! You're not old enough to drink! Now go and die for your country!!!
Exactly, he's the rare comedian who can be his own straight man. 😊
shareI love this movie and think it turned out really good. It also would've been great to see Wilder and Pryor in this instead. I think it would've been just as equally good. Either way I think we would've benefited from it.
sharePryor was a genius standup, but not much of an actor. Maybe Wilder could have been a good Winthorpe if he toned it down a bit, but Aykroyd was perfect for the role. Glad we got what we got.
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i don't think either would have been nearly as good in those particular roles. Gene Wilder in particular i don't think woudl have been suited to the Dan Ackroyd role. he usually seemed to play rather whimsical or crazy characters, and you need someone who can do stuffy and pompous, which Ackroyd does very well.
shareAnother problem with Gene Wilder is that he was just too likable of an actor and performer to really be convincing as a pretentious snob. With Dan Aykroyd, you wanted to see him be knocked down a peg.
https://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/614265/trading-places-compare-wilder-movies?page=1