MovieChat Forums > The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) Discussion > Hanks didn't want Uma Thurman because he...

Hanks didn't want Uma Thurman because he felt she was "Too New"???

posted 9 years ago by JaysonT
5 replies | jump to latest

Apparently Uma Thurman was supposed to get Melanie Griffith's role (even the director loved her), but Hanks told him not to cast her because she was too inexperienced. What a jerk- Thurman is miles better than Griffith as a performer, and had already been in high profile films like Dangerous Liaisons (1988.

Plus this film tanked majorly- something IMDB's trivia section oddly fails to mention. It is still known as one of the most notorious flops that came out of Hollywood.

[–] dave-935-71127 9 years ago

I'm not sure that Uma would have been right for that role, but no actress could have been worse than Melanie Griffith.

[–] kya1 9 years ago

Apparently Uma Thurman was supposed to get Melanie Griffith's role (even the director loved her), but Hanks told him not to cast her because she was too inexperienced

That sort of thing probably happens all the time in the film industry - popular actors flexing their muscle and putting pressure on directors to hire/not hire someone.

Terrible behaviour, but maybe they got what they deserved when the movie flopped.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAIJ3Rh5Qxs

[–] HowYaLikeDemApplesWill 9 years ago

"popular actors flexing their muscle and putting pressure on directors to hire/not hire someone"

Truth....especially when they want to sleep with someone.

Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] amitynow 9 years ago

Sounds like BS to me. Hanks at the time was unproven himself, at least when it came to big time dramatic roles. I doubt he had the clout to tell depalma who not to hire. Anyway if it is true then cite your source at least.

[–] cookiela2001 8 years ago

Sounds like BS to me. Hanks at the time was unproven himself, at least when it came to big time dramatic roles. I doubt he had the clout to tell depalma who not to hire. Anyway if it is true then cite your source at least.

Hanks did put the kibosh on Thurman, who reportedly gave a spectacular audition. Hanks was in demand as an actor following the success of Big.

The whole casting process (and filming) is detailed in the book The Devil's Candy: The Anatomy Of A Hollywood Fiasco by Julie Salamon. She's a journalist who was invited to observe and document the process from initial production meetings through the premier. (Needless to say, the studio had no idea the final result would be so humiliating.)

The book is really good (if depressing)

SEE:

https://www.amazon.com/Devils-Candy-Anatomy-Hollywood-Fiasco/dp/0306811235
.