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Morgan Freeman was cast as Ellis “Red” Redding in one of the best films in modern cinema,The Shawshank Redemption. Freeman got the role at the recommendation of producer Liz Glotzer, who ignored the original text material which described the character as a ‘white Irishman’.
The movie directed by Frank Darabont was based on the Stephen King novella,Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption.
The film was a commercial failure, but it managed to win over the critics. Surprisingly, it is now the top-rated film of all time on IMDB. The lead role of Andy Dufresne was played by Tim Robbins. Interestingly, Robbins and Freeman were not the first choices for their respective roles.
Also Read:‘The Shawshank Redemption’ Escape Had A Major Plothole- Andy Dufresne Digging A Secret Tunnel For 19 Years Still Troubles Many Fans
The Director Sent Out A Casting Call Before Fixing On Morgan Freeman And Tim Robbins
One of the lesser-known facts about the movie was the number of Hollywood talents, who were considered for its roles. At one point,Tom Cruiseattended the table readings of the script. However, Cruise rejected the role of Andy, citing concerns about the inexperience of the director, Frank Darabont.
Other top contenders for Andy wereTom Hanks, who was busy at the time withForrest Gump, andKevin Costner, who opted to star inWaterworldinstead.
Charlie Sheenloved the script so much so that he sent in an audition tape for the role of Red. However, Castle Rock, the producers, rejected Sheen for the role.Johnny DeppandNicolas Cagewere also considered at different stages. Ultimately, Darabont went withTim Robbins, as he was impressed with his performance inJacob’s Ladder, released in 1990.
Some legendary actors also missed out onMorgan Freeman’s role of Red. Darabont initially considered two of his favorite actors, Gene Hackman andRobert Duvall, both of whom were unavailable at the time.
Clint Eastwoodand Paul Newman were also discussed as potential choices by the studio. Rob Reiner, who loved the script, was willing to pay $2.5 million for the rights and wanted to direct the film withHarrison Fordand Tom Cruise as leads.
There were also a number of actors who dropped out of other roles inThe Shawshank Redemption. This includedBrad Pitt, who was initially cast as Tommy Williams, andJames Gandolfini, who rejected the role of Bogs, a prison rapist.
Also Read:“I’ll do this film for f–king scale”: Charlie Sheen Was So Desperate For One Movie Role He Was Ready to Take the Minimum Salary For the Job
The Film That Interested So Many Actors Couldn’t Succeed Commercially
The Shawshank Redemptionhas a special place in the hearts of movie lovers, however, the theatrical fate of the movie was unfortunate. At the time of release, the movie was deemed as just another prison drama, a genre that was declining in popularity at the time.
But the movie explored more complex themes including friendship and hope. Tim Robbins once described the film as“a uniquely non-sexual love story between two men”(via IMDB).
The name of the film also confused audiences. Although the name of Stephen King’s novella was edited out to avoid people confusing it as a biopic, the confusion remained. The film also had strong competition that year, especially from Tom Hanks’Forrest Gump, which proved that Hanks made a worthy decision to drop out.Quentin Tarantino’sPulp Fictionwas also another outstanding release of that year.
Also Read:“First of all, what’s your name?”: Denzel Washington Got a Rude Reply from Morgan Freeman After Trying to Get Into a Sword Fight With The Dark Knight Star
The lack of female characters in the movie also largely affected the film’s appeal to a wider audience. Nevertheless, the film got the much-deserved recognition eventually.
Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins starrerThe Shawshank Redemptionis now available for streaming on TBS.
Source:IMDB
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3019
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
