“He was not my first choice”: Steven Spielberg Was Refused by Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man Co-Star for $476M Movie Before Star Wars Director Saved the Day

Considered by many the best decade for movies, the 70s saw the rise of some of the finest filmmakers of all time, including Steven Spielberg. The director rose to prominence following the release of Jaws, one of the few movies to be deemed perfect by Quentin Tarantino, and one of the factors that elevated the film to greatness was the casting.

It’s hard to imagine a better cast for Jaws than the one we got. With Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss at the forefront, everyone succeeds in playing their part to perfection. However, Dreyfuss wasn’t even in the discussion to play the role of Matt Hooper, as Spielberg initially had his eyes set on Crazy Heart Star Jeff Bridges.

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Jeff Bridges refused the offer to star in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Jaws’

With a career spanning over seven decades, Jeff Bridges has found himself starring in several major projects, including critically acclaimed gems, The Big Lebowski, and Crazy Heart. But back in the 70s, the Iron Man actor was one of the initial choices to star in Steven Spielberg‘s breakthrough movie, however, everyone turned down the role, including Bridges.

“Richard Dreyfuss was not my first choice. I went to Jon Voight first, and he said no. I think we interviewed Timothy Bottoms as well as several other actors, including Jeff Bridges.” Spielberg recalled. “We got turned down or they weren’t available. These things happen all the time.”

After losing his initial choices to star in his most important work at the time, Star Wars director George Lucas came in to save the day, recommending Richard Dreyfuss to Spielberg.

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George Lucas helped Steven Spielberg find the perfect man for the job

Before George Lucas took the world by storm with the first Star Wars, the director rose to the top following the success of American Graffiti, which Steven Spielberg adored. And when, Lucas recommended Richard Dreyfuss, who starred in American Graffiti alongside Harrison Ford, Spielberg went along with the option without any hesitation. Spielberg recalled,

“Richard Dreyfuss got the part because I loved [George Lucas’s] American Graffiti. George was the one who told me, ‘Why don’t you cast Ricky Dreyfuss?’”

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However, getting him on board wasn’t an easy task, as it took a lot of convincing, but eventually, the actor chimed in with the director’s vision, crafting one of the most influential movies of all time.

Jaws is available to rent on Apple TV.

Source: Vanity Fair