MovieChat Forums > The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989) Discussion > Why was this superannuated actor given t...

Why was this superannuated actor given the title role?


John Neville was pretty much a B actor at this time.

Did the American director think this Canadian actor would bring in extra customers?

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According to the book "Losing the Light", he was willing to do all the physical things (borderline stunts) that were asked of him, and he had a face that could easily be made up to look older than he actually was.

Originally some marquis actors were solicited for the role so they could lure other A-list talent for cameos, but the role was too demanding.

I thought Neville did a fine job. I'm just sorry he was only in this one feature film, because I would have loved to have seen a TV series about the Baron's adventures with him in the role.

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He suited the role. On the documentary about this film, Gilliam said they wanted an actor that 'had been forgotten', as opposed to a big name at the time.

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John Neville was pretty much a B actor at this time.

Why would you say a stupid thing like this?



Always feel free to attack someone as a substitute for thinking.

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Who gives a damn if he was a B actor or not? From my perspective, most B actors are better than most A actors most of the time, anyway.

If this is a consular ship, where is the ambassador?

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Whatever his reputation before this role, I think he did an excellent job, and when I read the Münchhausen stories today, I can picture him as Neville portrayed him, in this film.

Also, I'd hardly refer to a 64-year-old, which Neville was at the time, as "superannuated".

The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.

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