User blog:Amanim/The Lost Roles of John Belushi

Ok casting is one of the most important processes in movie making. Placing the right actors in the right roles can determine whether or not an entire film rings true. The topic of Lost Roles is a weekly series that examines the missed opportunities, the roles that could have been and explores how some casting choices that almost happened could have changed the film industry and the comedy world at large.

At the time of his tragic and untimely death in 1982, John Belushi was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, and a versatile one at that. He was not only an accomplished comedic actor, but also a successful musician with the Blues Brothers and an Emmy Award-winning writer for his work on Saturday Night Live. It’s an oft-repeated fact that in 1978, Belushi had the #1 late night show (SNL), a #1 album (The Blues Brothers’ Briefcase Full of Blues), and a #1 movie (Animal House). This was an amazing feat for the actor and something that hasn’t been pulled off by anyone since.

After John Belushi and his best friend/comedy partner Dan Aykroyd left SNL in 1979, the two were part of the ensemble in Steven Spielberg’s World War II comedy flop 1941 and starred in the much-more successful Blues Brothers film. Although it wasn’t as big a deal as Belushi’s breakthrough film Animal House, The Blues Brothers was still, by all means, a massive hit and one of the year’s top grossing movies. Belushi’s two final big screen performances were in Continental Divide and Neighbors (with Aykroyd again), both in 1981. While these two films were critical and commercial disappointments, as these two films got good positive percentage ratings by fans years later; John Belushi had more than enough talent to bounce back, and he could have done so if he were given the chance. Before his death in 1982, Belushi’s film career was booming, and he was one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood. He was attached to several movies, some of which were made later with other actors and many that were never made at all. A few of the projects are, as strange as it seems, said to be cursed.

Belushi was cut down in his prime and we will never know what great heights his career could have reached. Taking a look at the parts he was planning on playing is the next best thing, as it allows us to see where his career might have taken him if disaster hadn’t intervened.


 * 1. The Blue Lagoon as Richard (John Belushi was considered for the lead role but was deemed “too funny” for the part. This would have been a nice chance for Belushi to show off his range as an actor, allowing him to explore another genre; however, The Blue Lagoon went into production around the same time as The Blues Brothers. It’s possible that taking this part would have jeopardized the existence of The Blues Brothers, which was a major hit for Belushi late in his career. In the end the role went to Christopher Atkins)
 * 2. Arthur as the title character (Belushi was offered the lead role in this classic comedy (the Russell Brand remake comes out next month). He would have played Arthur Bach, an alcoholic playboy who is the heir to his family’s multi-million dollar fortune. Belushi was weary of being typecast as a fun-loving party animal, so he turned the part down. It’s odd that Belushi considered this part typecasting, as Arthur Bach is a far cry from outrageous debaucher Bluto Blutarsky. Arthur is much deeper and more sentimental. His alcoholism masks an inner sadness that Belushi’s other characters just never had. This was a huge opportunity for Belushi, in that Arthur ended up a highly successful film and even earned Dudley Moore an Oscar nomination for his performance — a very rare achievement for an actor in a comedy. In the end the role went to Dudley Moore)
 * 3. Bill Blazejowski in Night Shift (the character was revealed to be wacky, and manic. Jane Jenkins reveals that John Belushi was the first choice for the part that made Keaton a household name. Jenkins writes a good point in hypothesizing as to whether or not the success of Night Shift could have saved Belushi’s life. Taking the part in this hit would have certainly kept his career afloat. In the end the role went to Michael Keaton)
 * 4. As a Guest spot on Police Squad! (A running joke during the opening credits of the short-lived series Police Squad! involved the announcer introducing a celebrity guest, only for them to turn up murdered before the opening sequence ends. William Shatner, Florence Henderson, and others filmed these segments, as did John Belushi. Belushi’s scene involved his legs being tied to blocks of concrete while he was floating underwater, dead. It’s extremely eerie considering that he passed away a few months after filming the sequence. The producers cut the scene after Belushi died since the episode had not yet aired. They replaced it with one featuring actor William Conrad. The original footage has never turned up and is now thought to be lost or destroyed)
 * 5. Maximilian “Max” Bercovicz in Once Upon a Time in America (Belushi was offered a supporting role in the Sergio Leone crime epic, and he committed to losing 40 pounds so that he could play the part. This is the role on the list that sticks out the most, as it could have been the start of John Belushi’s career as a dramatic actor. Although many of his peers were able to make that same transition years later (Murray and Aykroyd earned one Oscar nomination each), Belushi never had enough time to try out dramatic acting. It’s really a shame, especially considering how close he was to filming this part. In the end the role went to James Wood)
 * 6. In Ghostbusters as Peter Venkman (In the original draft Dan Aykroyd wrote for Ghostbusters, the Ghostbusters dressed like SWAT officers, traveled through time, and used wands to capture ghosts, instead of their now-famous proton packs. When Aykroyd brought the project to co-writer Harold Ramis and director Ivan Reitman, they were worried about the high budget the story would require. They retooled it, throwing out the time traveling aspect and making the Ghostbusters more like slacker exterminators than tough SWAT guys. John Belushi was attached to play the lead role throughout the development process until his death in 1982. Aykroyd’s original idea for the movie sounds just as compelling as seeing Belushi star in the project. I would have loved to see what the original version looked like, since Aykroyd based the character off of Belushi during production. In the end the role went to Billy Murray)
 * 7. In National Lampoon’s The Joy of Sex (John Belushi was offered a role in this forgettable National Lampoon outing before his death. Unhappy with the project, which would have involved him wearing a diaper in one scene, Belushi turned it down several times. He eventually accepted the part, but the depression over compromising his integrity set in and sent him into the days-long bender that ended with his accidental overdose)
 * 8. Spies Like Us as Emmett Fitz-Hume (Spies Like Us was originally conceived as a vehicle for Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. After Belushi’s death, Joe Piscopo was briefly considered for the role before Chevy Chase took it. Check out this 1981 interview, in which Gene Shalit talks to Aykroyd and Belushi about the project just a few months ahead of Belushi’s death. It gets especially eerie when Shalit asks the two where they see themselves in ten years: While the movie hasn’t held up as well as Ghostbusters or Three Amigos, Spies Like Us was still highly successful in its own right. In the end the role with to Chevy Chase)
 * 9. About Last Night… as Bernie Litgo (Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi were offered roles in this film adaptation of the David Mamet play Sexual Perversity in Chicago years before it went into production. Dan Aykroyd would have played the part that went to Rob Lowe, while John Belushi would have played the part that went to his little brother Jim. John Belushi turned the role down at Jim’s urging because Jim had played the role onstage and he didn’t want to be compared to his older brother)
 * 10. Trading Places as Guy in the Gorilla Suit (A role that went to his brother Jim. Aykroyd probably wanted John to play this part in the film as a guy who loves partying on a train while being dress as a animal. But only by wearing a tank top and underwear especially when it's about to be New Years)
 * 11. Three Amigos as Ned Nederlander (Early in its production, Three Amigos was called The Three Caballeros, and Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi were going to play the roles that eventually went to Chevy Chase as Aykroyd's character and Martin Short as Belushi's character, respectively. Development was underway as early as 1980, when Steve Martin mentioned the casting plans in an interview with Playboy. Belushi’s death a couple of years later prevented this incarnation of the film from coming into fruition)
 * 12. Animal House 2 as John “Bluto” Blutarsky (When Animal House became the highest grossing comedy of all time in 1978, you can bet Universal executives started pushing hard for a sequel. A script was written that would take place during the Summer of Love and involve the gang getting back together for Otter’s wedding. When the similarly-themed sequel to American Graffiti bombed, the studio began to rethink things. The project was shelved for good when Belushi died)
 * 13. A Confederacy of Dunces as Ignatius J. Reilly (The cult classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel A Confederacy of Dunces has spent several decades in development hell. John Belushi was attached to play the lead role of Ignatius J. Reilly shortly before his death. He had scheduled a meeting to finalize his deal that was set for a day or so after the day of his accidental overdose. Richard Pryor was also attached, to play Burma Jones, while Harold Ramis was planning on directing. The whole project fell apart when Belushi died, and there is said to be a curse surrounding any film adaptations of the book)
 * 14. Atuk as the title character (Atuk, based on the book The Incomporable Atuk by Mordecai Richler, is one of the most famous “cursed” projects in Hollywood. It told the story of “an Eskimo warrior trying to adapt to life in the big city". There’s a short list of comedic actors, most of them overweight, who considered taking the lead role before meeting early deaths. John Belushi signed on, only to die a few months later)
 * 15. Fatty Arbuckle biopic as the title character (Another project that John Belushi was interested in at different points was a biopic based on the life of silent era film comedian Fatty Arbuckle. Fans say that Belushi was better off playing this role since he a certain edge and something in common with this guy when it comes to having a personal life)
 * 16. Noble Rot as Johnny Glorioso (Noble Rot was John Belushi’s passion project, something he was writing and prepping to star in before his death. The script was based on a previous unproduced screenplay, “Sweet Deception” by Mary Tyler Moore director Jay Sandrich. Belushi was in the process of co-writing Noble Rot with his SNL cohort Don Novello. The story follows the youngest son in a winemaking family who is sent to a big tasting to show off his family’s newest bottle. It was to be something of a departure for Belushi, as it would have involved him playing a much more subdued character in a story that was more similar to an old-fashioned screwball comedy)

Anyway if you are looking for my blog post that is about Chris Farley, head to My Favorite SNL Idol. To be honest I would have love to see Belushi in Ghostbusters, Spies like Us, Noble Rot, Animal House 2, and an older version of Fatty Arbuckle.