MovieChat Forums > Edward Scissorhands (1990) Discussion > What if Tom Cruise, Gary Oldman or Tom H...

What if Tom Cruise, Gary Oldman or Tom Hanks had accepted the lead role?

posted 7 years ago by black_mass-65596
7 replies | jump to latest

Depp was perfect, but I'm pondering how those guys would have performed had they accepted the role when it was offered to them. Hanks would probably have been best: he had the boyish good looks, and showed in 'Big' that he could do naivete well. Oldman can obviously do odd, and 'Rosencrantz & Guildenstern' showcased his ability to be innocent and unassuming. Tom Cruise, I believe, would have been disappointing. He injected 'smouldering' into everything back then, and I just don't think he's affable enough for a part like Edward.

Your thoughts on how these actors would have fared?

[–] BlackMass (699) a year ago

Bumping this thread I posted before the IMDb boards closed. Forgive me.

Looking back now, I think a young Gary Oldman would have killed it. But Depp was the right guy, of course.

[–] HarveyManFredSin (4877) a year ago

There's an interview clip of Gary Oldman saying that when he was given the script he didn't get it, and thus passed, but then within 5/10 minutes of watching the film for the first time, he had a 'Duh!'/head-slap moment and was effectively 'Ah, I get it now.'

[–] DoctorThirteen (10465) a year ago

I wouldn't have watched it with Hanks or Cruise. Oldman would have done a good job, I'm sure. But thank goodness they passed. Depp was perfect casting.

Have to say though, it would have been cool seeing Oldman share the screen with Vincent Price.

[–] hurricane (1910) 9 months ago

It's always going to be hard to imagine somebody else playing a role, when the person who did play it killed it. Johnny Depp was so good in this, it'd be hard to imagine anybody, no matter how good an actor, would be good in this.

[–] DoctorThirteen (10465) 7 months ago

My favourite Depp role/performance of all, no question.

[–] StrongRex (1294) 7 months ago

Wasn’t Michael Jackson offered the role as well?

[–] BlackMass (699) 7 months ago

Apparently he lobbied hard for the part but Burton didn't want him.