When it comes to creating a movie, a cast and crew may undergo several different changes, but while there were plenty of suggestions for the lead actor and actress role for “The Shining,” Kubrick had already had his mindset. In this article, you will also learn other role wishes and final casting.
Lead Actor Ups and Downs
Instead of Jack Nicholson for the role of Jack Torrence, Kubrick considered asking Robert De Niro and Robin Williams to take on the part. However, Kubrick didn’t think De Niro would fit well in the part after he saw his performance in “Taxi Driver” (1976). He didn’t think De Niro was “psychotic” enough. Ironically, he saw Robin Williams in “Mork & Mindy” (1978) and decided against him for the part because he viewed him as “too psychotic” for the role.
On the other end, Stephen King desperately wanted Kubrick to drop Jack Nicholson from the role because he wanted a “normal ,looking man” like Jon Voight or Michael Moriarty to play the lead. King felt that it would be more powerful and dramatic to see this type of actor fall into madness as he moved through the storyline. Stephen King also preferred Jack Palance for the role of Jack Torrence.
Danny Torrance Turn-Down
The first choice to play the character of Danny Torrance was Cary Guffey , the young boy who starred in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977). However, Guffey’s parents turned down Stanley Kubrick’s offer because they did not like the subject matter of the film.
“I Need a Woman with the Look of Less Drama”
Stephen King wasn’t too pleased with the casting of Shelley Duvall as Wendy. He originally saw her character as a former cheerleader-type with blond hair that never experienced any real problems in her life, which would mean that life at the Overlook was all the more frightening. He looked at Duvall and saw her as something that had already had a lot of emotional ups and downs. She was the epitome of everything he didn’t want in the actress playing Wendy.
My First and Only”¦
When it came to roles of Jack and Wendy Torrance, Jack Nicholson and Shelly Duvall were the first and only choices of Kubrick.
Prior Commitments
The role of Lloyd the Bartender was originally offered and accepted by Harry Dean Stanton, but since he had already committed to “Alien” (1979), he was unable to take on the role.
Cameo Appearances
The film editor (Norman Gay) has a cameo in the movie , playing the injured guest who scares Wendy Torrance and exclaims, “”Great party, isn’t it?” During the party scene, Vivian Kubrick (Stanley’s daughter) makes a cameo appearance. She is seen wearing a black dress, as she sits on the right side of the sofa located closest to the bar. When filming the party scene, Stanley Kubrick instructed the extras to mouth their words and not to nod their heads.