Ridley Scottrose to fame and acclaim when he directed the now-classic 1979 sci-fi filmAlien. It was only Scott’s second feature film, the first beingThe Duelistsin 1977, but already earned an Oscar win for Best Visual Effects. Now, it is considered one of the formative sci-fi works in the history of cinema.
AfterAlien, Scott went on to direct many crucial films in the sci-fi, historical epic, and drama genres. He hadanother sci-fi withBlade Runnerin 1982, which went on to get a 21st century legacy sequel withBlade Runner 2049. Other key Scott films includeGladiator, which won an Oscar for Best Picture, andThe Martian.
Now, Scott has four Oscar nominations to his name, and his associated films have amassed even more in total. This includesthree Best Director nominations.One ofScott’s most influential worksfalls outside his typical sci-fi and historical genres, but still netted him an Oscar nomination, but nearly had one of its star-studded roster play someone else.
Christopher McDonald Almost Played A Villain In Thelma & Louise
The Star Was Resistant To Take On The Part
Christopher McDonald reveals that he nearly played a more antagonistic character inThelma & Louise. Directed by Scott and based on a script by Callie Khouri, the film is a road trip drama about two women,played by Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, who go on the run after committing crimes.
The crime in question occurs when a bar patron, Harlan, tries to assault Thelma. Thelma intimidates him by threatening to shoot, but as he goads her on when she runs away, Thelma ends up shooting and killing him. This becomes a key plot point as it cues the titular leads to go on the run.
As perThe New York Times, McDonald, who starred as Thelma’s disrespectful husband, reveals that he almost had a different role inThelma & Louise. According to the actor, Scott was originally considering him to play Harlan, which McDonald says wasa role that would have sent him “right into therapy.“When eventually cast as Darryl, McDonald invited co-star Davis to lunch and they “hugged it out.” Check out the quote from McDonald below:
So, I said, “Sir, in all honesty, I think I’d be much better as the husband.”
What This Meant For Thelma And Louise
McDonald still did not land a morallydesirable role inThelma & Louise. Darryl is the husband of Davis' character Thelma, and he is portrayed as overly controlling and emotionally abusive. For this reason, Thelma does not want to return home to him, even growing close with Brad Pitt’s J.D. instead.
Nonetheless,McDonald’s characterization of the Harlan role highlights just how intense a character that was in the classic film.The Harlan role eventually ended up going to Timothy Carhart. Carhart had a small but critical role inThelma & Louise, and he was as perfectly vile as McDonald was manipulative in his role.
Thelma & Louise
Cast
Thelma & Louise is a 1991 drama directed by Ridley Scott, featuring Geena Davis as Thelma and Susan Sarandon as Louise. The film follows the journey of two friends on a road trip that spirals into unexpected and intense circumstances, challenging their friendship and transforming their lives. Brad Pitt makes an early appearance in a supporting role, helping to cement the film’s enduring legacy.
