'Avatar' without Sam Worthington? Damon, Gyllenhaal said no to playing Jake Sully [poll]
"The Jake Sully Identity"? "Brokeback Home Tree"?
James Cameron has put on his 3D-hindsight glasses for our friends at the Hero Complex for a look back at his woulda-coulda-shoulda stories regarding casting for the lead role in "Avatar."
Let's forget the "shoulda" part, because the film's done pretty well with Sam Worthington rocking the role. But, the director says, he "coulda" cast Jake Gyllenhaal or Matt Damon in the role of Sully, opposite new Avon ambassador (was it the blue skin?) Zoe Saldana. He talked to both, both turned him down, and first-choice Worthington got the gig.
Why would Cameron go flirting with the box-office big boys, if Worthington had already won his bio-luminescent heart? Hero Complex has that answer.
Who'd be your "woulda" in the role of Jake Sully? Our department of Absolutely Accurate Online Statistics presents a nonscientific online poll ... click onward.
-- Christie D'Zurilla
Photos: Sam Worthington, Matt Damon and Jake Gyllenhaal, top. Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and Jake Sully (Worthington), right, in "Avatar." Credits, from top left: Dan Steinberg / Associated Press; Matt Sayles / Associated Press; Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images; 20th Century Fox.
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Sam Worthington was just OK in Avatar.
Posted by: Ben | Feb 23, 2010 at 10:35 AM
Sam's voice was perfect for this movie. I thought he was the bomb
Posted by: elle | Feb 23, 2010 at 12:31 PM
wow ben glad you werent doing the casting...sam was perfect for the role..jake gylenhall?? you gotta be kidding....
Posted by: nick | Feb 23, 2010 at 03:54 PM
Sam Worthington is unspoiled, the film was more about the story and animation I think..no one has really heard of him in the States,
he was like smoke that quietly hit the scene. Good Luck to Sam and his future..stay a sweet as you are.
Posted by: Robbie | Mar 04, 2010 at 05:30 PM