With Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, and Ed Helms leading the film, The Hangover proved to be a massive hit in 2009. It ranked tenth in earnings for the year and held the record for the highest-grossing R-rated comedy at that time.
Zach Galifianakis’s performance as Alan was highly praised in the movie, which made him one of the biggest comedy stars overnight. The actor has been in the entertainment industry since the late 1990s, working in TV shows and films.
But his big commercial break came in 2009 when he starred in this highly successful comedy. However, the role that made Galifianakis well-known in the industry was first offered to many others. Keep reading to find out.
Jack Black Was About to Play Alan in The Hangover
Do you know that Todd Phillips had to face casting concerns to give life to his movie? The director first contacted The Mean Girls actress to play the role of Jade, the sex worker.
Everything was perfect until all parties felt the actress was too young to play the role. That’s when she had to say goodbye to the role.
Then, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Phillips revealed that he was first about to do Alan with Jack Black, but the actor turned it down:
“I was sort of doing this other project at Warner Bros., possibly with Jack Black, and Jack pulled out of it.”
In 2009, even though Black didn’t star in The Hangover, he appeared in several other projects, including the film Year One, Water and Power, guest-starred as Sam on the TV series The Office, and voiced Eddie Riggs on the video game Brütal Legend.
Other actors, Including Jonah Hill, Were Also Considered For The Role of Alan in The Hangover
Besides Black, other actors, including Jake Gyllenhaal and Thomas Haden Church, were also contenders for the role in Todd Phillips’ movie. Ultimately, the decision was made to cast Zach Galifianakis, as he was deemed the better choice for the character.
Another actor, Jonah Hill, was also in consideration. During the early stages of scripting, Alan’s character was initially written differently than what it actually ended up in the movie.
The eccentric character we know today was originally intended as more of a “Jonah Hill character” or a younger brother. But surprisingly, Hill passed the role, and Alan was changed to an older brother.
Interestingly, Galifianakis himself too declined to meet with the filmmakers when they first considered him for the role. The actor later changed his mind and accepted the opportunity to portray the character of Alan.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
