Which actors were initially considered for the iconic role of Beetlejuice?

2023-05-20 13:20

Tim Burton required three meetings to convince Michael Keaton to play Beetlejuice

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: It is no secret that the sequel to the 1988 horror-comedy, ‘Beetlejuice’ is finally happening and fans cannot keep calm as the quirky poltergeist Betelgeuse (Beetlejuice) is all set to make a dashing comeback to the screen after 36 years of its initial release. However, Michael Keaton, who plays the titular role, was not the first choice to play the path-breaking character.

Had the other actor, who was director Tim Burton’s choice, accepted the role, then the movie could have gotten a different flavor. One of the primary choices for the film was the action movie star, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Despite The Geffen Company’s postulation that Schwarzenegger was an action star then and his presence would impart the movie not the desired tone, Burton considered signing ‘The Terminator’ actor.

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According to IMDb, the ‘Edward Scissorhands’ director even approached Schwarzenegger for the role. However, the retired political leader and ‘Commando’ actor turned down the offer as he was busy shooting for his 1987 movie ‘The Running Man’.

Who else was considered for the role of Beetlejuice?

Schwarzenegger was not the only one who missed out on essaying the titular character of Burton’s horror-comedy. The ‘Corpse Bride’ director wanted to cast Rat Pack member Sammy Davis, Jr to play the eccentric spirit. The producers, at some point, also considered onboarding Dudley Moore and Sam Kinison for the role. However, as per Uproxx, Kinison’s manager played the spoilsport as the actor was never informed about the studio’s interest.

How was Keaton roped in for the role?

Believe it or not, Keaton required a lot of convincing from Burton to essay the role of Beetlejuice. Keaton once said about Burton in an interview, as per The Hollywood Reporter, “I had no idea what he was talking about, but I liked him,” before adding, “I said, ‘I wish I could do it. You seem like a really nice guy and I know you’re creative, but I don’t get it.'” After two more meetings, Keaton finally grasped the idea and after that there was no looking back.

During the third meeting, Kreaton said, as he recounted, “I said, ‘Give me the night or two days’ and I called the wardrobe department at the studio and said, ‘Send me a bunch of wardrobes from different time periods, randomly. Just pick a rack.’ And then I thought of an idea of teeth and an idea of a walk.”

He then continued to narrate that he phoned Burton about his idea of the character’s look, and said, “Here’s the amazing part about it: He never saw any of it. We discussed it. I said ‘I want hair that looks like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket.’ And I said ‘I want mold because Tim said he lives under rocks,'” He also added,“So I showed up for work and I walked on the stage and said, ‘This is either going to be way off the mark, or he’s going to — I don’t know what he’s going to do.”