Leslie Nielsen Was Extremely Close To Having A Role In Ben-Hur
Screen tests offer a glimpse into what could have been. Once we've become accustomed to seeing the film's original actor in the role, it can be difficult to even imagine someone else filling their shoes. At the very least, screen tests show us how other actors approached the material versus what we ended up getting in the finished film. What would "Star Wars" have looked like if Kurt Russell had gotten the part of Han Solo instead of Harrison Ford? Or if Robert DeNiro had been chosen as Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather" rather than James Caan? What would it have been like if Messala in William Wyler's "Ben-Hur" was played not by Stephen Boyd, but Leslie Nielsen? Because that's what almost happened.
