Ok casting an unknown someone is one of the most important processes in movie making history. Placing just the right actors in the right roles can determine whether or not if 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 for the better.
At the time of his tragic and untimely death in early 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 ever 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, and 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 with Continental Divide getting a 93% and Neighbors getting a 83%; 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. In The Blue Lagoon as Richard Lestrange (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, by 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 Bach 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. Belushi would have been perfect for the role as 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 being 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. As 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 if 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 original idea was to have his character die by having a needle in his arm by laying on the floor while being behind the bed. The producers didn't like the idea as they felt very uncomfortable with it. As the idea was like the ending of the neighbors novel of his character Earl (a film that he had finish by making his character live). So Belushi’s filmed scene involved his legs being tied to blocks of concrete while he was floating underwater, dead. It’s extremely eerie now 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. As 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. As Peter Venkman In Ghostbusters (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. Akroyd and Judy both say that it was hard for them to see Murray play the role instead of John, and I agree with them)
- 7. A Cameo in 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. After his death his wife Judy had appear in the film to fill the void)
- 8. As Emmett Fitz-Hume in Spies Like Us (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. As Bernie Litgo in About Last Night… (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. In 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. As Ned Nederlander in the Three Amigos (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. In 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. Moon Over Miami as Shelly Slutsky (Shortly before Belushi’s death, famed French auteur Louis Malle began developing a script based on the FBI Abscam story, a sting operation in the 1970s that led to the arrest of numerous politicians. If that sounds familiar, it’s because filmmaker David O. Russell mined the same true story in 2013 for his Oscar favorite American Hustle. Moon Over Miami, as the project was known at the time, would’ve allowed both Malle and Belushi to step outside their comfort zone, creating more of a sharp satire than a flat out comedy or drama. Belushi would’ve played Shelly Slutsky, a slobbish conman similar to the role Christian Bale played in American Hustle. Belushi’s partner in crime, Dan Aykroyd, was also being eyed for the role of Otis Presby, otherwise known as Bradley Cooper’s FBI agent on the edge. If all the pieces had come together, this movie had the potential to be a major turning point for the creative partnership of Belushi and Aykroyd. Playwright John Guare, who penned the script, would stage the screenplay years later, but this version of the story would never make it to the big screen)
- 17. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as Dr. Gonzo (A big screen take on Hunter S. Thompson’s novel starring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi makes so much sense, it’s a wonder it never came together. Aykroyd’s odd, clipped intensity as Raoul Duke, alongside Belushi’s unhinged, swarthy madness as Dr. Gonzo, is pitch perfect casting. Sadly, the project evaporated with Belushi’s passing and the novel floated around Hollywood for another decade before Terry Gilliam finally made his adaptation)
- 18. As Ludwig van Beethoven in a feature film. (Now this makes sense as Belushi loved Beethoven's piano music and skills. And not to mention that Beethoven was disabled. It also makes perfect sense since he played the character in an SNL skit when Ray Charles had hosted the show for the first time)
- 19. In Nothing Lasts Forever as Buck Heller (Now this role makes sense since it's small and a cameo. Including cruel humor and teaching someone how to use a gun. Belushi would have been prefect to do the role. But Belushi died before filming began and his role went to Dan Aykroyd)
- 20. In The Great Outdoors as Chet Ripley (It’s pretty obvious that Belushi was meant to do the role. Even though John Candy played the role it’s not hard to imagine the film without Belushi, as he is a comedy great in his own right who also left us too early. But as written, his character is from Chicago, where Hughes set many of his films and where Belushi grew up. In fact, Belushi’s character in Continental Divide is a Chicago columnist. So all indications point to an Aykroyd/Belushi teaming that might have been. And if it had been, it would likely have been a return to the Neighbors paradigm, with Belushi as the straight man harrowed by rambunctious Aykroyd’s antics. However, this time, they likely would have gotten it right, as the final film would indicate)
- 21. In Dragnet as Pep Streebek (From the start it’s obvious that the role of Pep Streebek was originally conceived for Belushi. The full script might not have been written before Belushi’s death, but Aykroyd most likely had a completed story outline waiting to be fleshed out some time in the late 1970s or early 1980s. The success of Ghostbusters gave him the ammunition to begin development after completing Spies Like Us. As a fan of the original series and an overall law enforcement aficionado, the project was close to Aykroyd’s heart. But the movie that eventually appeared is strange, as are most things that Aykroyd conceives. It can’t seem to decide if it wants to be a parody, romantic comedy, or part of the buddy-cop action-comedy craze of the 1980s. It is quite likely these problems would still be present with Belushi’s appearance. As it is, Tom Hanks does such a respectable job of playing the streetwise, no-respect-for-the-rules, slob partner to Aykroyd’s Joe Friday that one has to concentrate with more intensity to imagine Belushi in the role. But after reflection, it’s obvious that Belushi was meant to be there. It’s not as obvious that he would have been able to improve the film much beyond its status of merely passable entertainment)
- 22. In Fiddler on the Roof (Through in his final interview a year before his death. Belushi spoke on the Today Show that he wish to make a version of Fiddler on the Roof. Even though we don’t know what role Belushi wanted to do he expressed that he wanted to be in the film with Aykroyd as the director and with Aykroyd saying that they will film the movie in 10 years)
- 23. In Noble Rot as Johnny Glorioso (Noble Rot was John Belushi’s passion project, as it was 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)
- 24. Blues Brothers 2000 or the Return of the Blues Brothers as Jake Blues (One hesitates to even recall that this film exists. Any sequel released eighteen years after the original would have a difficult time recapturing the magic of the first. Had John been alive to participate in these proceedings, he probably would have had some input on the script, and perhaps his contributions would have steered Aykroyd and director John Landis in a better direction. It’s likely that the film would have been call the Return of the Blues Brothers with Aykroyd finally do a film version of his original script just like he and Belushi would have always wanted by finally showing the origins of Jake and how the character came to be before he became an adult)
- 25. Continental Divide 2 as Ernie Souchak (One would wonder that had Belushi lived, what would a sequel to this film be like. Especially if it took place right after Ernie married Nel, showing the couples live and seeing how there jobs have impact there life. Another plot would be showing Ernie really loving his wife’s job by making sure that birds really don’t get kill, or the couple trying to solve a mystery about why birds are being hunted and kill. One would know that this sequel could be a drama romance action film that can finally explain the origins of Ernie and Nel, along with why they chose the job that they love so much to do)
26. Samurai Futaba as the lead role (Since Belushi brought his blues brothers character to the big screen because the character was from SNL. One wonders how he would done his favorite role from SNL onto the big screen by showing either more comedy from the samurai character or bringing drama to Futaba by explaining the character’s origin story as many wonder how the character came to be. Let’s just say it would have been interesting as it would be fun seeing Futaba fight for justice because he lives in a modern era world) 27. Neighbors 2 as Earl Keese (Had Belushi had lived. We could have seen a real black comedy of his character seeing his new life with Vic and girlfriend. Along with Earl trying to figure out why Vic and his girlfriend are the way they are. It would have been interesting to see Earl visiting his daughter and keeping in touch with her so that why he can still have a piece of his former life that he left behind. Or with Earl finally showing his original emotions that he suppressed for so long with he reached adulthood or him explaining about his childhood to his new friends as they go on a new adventure)
Anyway if you are looking for my blog post that is about Chris Farley, head to My Favorite SNL Idol. I was thinking awhile to wonder who he would have continued working with in films. I could still see him working with Aykroyd, Gilda, including Richard Pryor plus Tim Matheson and even John Candy. I could still see him writing and making music or even voice acting if it’s possible. To be honest I would have love to had seen Belushi in Blues Brothers 2, Ghostbusters, Spies like Us, Arthur Bach, Noble Rot, The Three Anigos, a biopic on Beethoven, Animal House 2 if they changed Bluto to be stoic and no longer an alcoholic similar to Jake from the Blues Brothers, and an older version of Fatty Arbuckle. I would have even love to see a sequel to Continental Divide. I also would have love to see him do Once Upon a Time in America, About Last Night, Night Shift and A Confederacy of Dunces. I also found out that Belushi loved the Japanese culture as much as I do. Including that he loved playing a samurai on SNL as his favorite role. Which makes me wish he was alive to see the hit franchise knows as Rurouni Kenshin. So go watch The Making of the Blues Brothers, The Best of The Blues Brothers documentary, Unseen and Untold The Blues Brothers, the John Belushi: Dancing On the Edge Biography (2010) including the 2020 Belushi Showtime Documentary on him. You won't regret it.
- My Favorite SNL Skits of John Belushi are: