Wasn't Redford supposed to play Nolte's role in Cape Fear?
When Steven Spielberg was attached to the project?
shareRedford was asked to play the Nolte role(the Gregory Peck role in the original) under Scorsese as well. I think he was the first choice. But he said no.
I think Harrison Ford and others said no, too.
Nolte ended up with a role first sought for Redford in "Prince of Tides" as well.
Too bad, would've been interesting to see Redford in that kind of a role.
shareI think Redford would had been too old for Prince of Tides but it would had been great to see him in the Cape Fear remake.
Its that man again!!
I dunno -- much as I appreciate Redford, I think Nolte's performance in Cape Fear is among his best. He's very much doing a "Redford thing" early on, particularly in scenes like the first bedroom conversation with his wife (brushing his teeth while reminding her that "you and I smoked a little dope in our time" and smiling winningly).
But once the film goes to a darker place, Nolte pulls off this wonderful blend of powerlessness, terror, frustration, guilt and desperation -- I just can't see Redford "going for it" like Nolte does.
Take the scene where Sam sends thugs after Max. There's Sam furtively smoking around the corner, feeling his liberal guilt about what he's about to do, then WHAM -- Max gets the upper hand and Sam is reduced to actually physically cowering behind a dumpster.
If anything, the more I see Cape Fear, the more I become convinced that Nolte actually manages to steal the film from De Niro, whose zany homicidal antics provide more light than heat.
Nolte acquitted himself well but he still only got the role once Redford turned it down and Scorcese really wanted to work with Redford and team him up with De Niro.
Eventually Scorcese did get his wish. He appeared in Quiz Show which was directed by Redford.
Its that man again!!
Well said, balthazar. It was a terrific and very underrated performance by Nolte.
shareThere's only a 5 year age difference between the two, but Nick Nolte is bigger and looks more like a football player, which the character was. He also looks more like Pat Conroy, the author of Prince of Tides, and I always feel like Conroy's characters are sort of based upon himself. He is a big man and a former athlete, sort of rough around the edges, nothing like Robert Redford, a lot like Nolte.
shareI didn't know that about Cape Fear or Prince of Tides. I've always thought of Nick Nolte as being a better actor than Robert Redford, though Redford was prettier (though, previously, not as MUCH prettier than he is now).
shareRedford is a lot better behind the camera than in front of it, I agree.
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