1.Before producers decided to keep things simple and call the show Friends, they toyed with the idea of Friends Like Us (ok, that’s not too bad), Six of One (what?), Across the Hall (logical I guess), Insomnia Café (no, just no) and Once Upon a Time in the West Village (amazing).
2.James Earl Jones, who voices Darth Vader, was so convinced that Star Wars would be a flop that he initially refused to allow his name to be used in the credits.
3.If you’re watching a popular American show from the last 20 years, look out for a detective by the name of John Munch. Always played by the same man, Richard Belzer, he was originally a character on Homicide: Life on the Street, before joining the cast of Law & Order Special Victims Unit. But there’s more; he has also been seen on episodes of The X-Files, Arrested Development, The Wire, 30 Rock and many more - always the same actor as the same character. Weird, but amazing nonetheless.
4.OJ Simpson was the original choice for the role of The Terminator, however the studio insisted on finding someone else - obviously Arnie in the end - as no-one would believe that OJ was a remorseless killer.
5.Originally, the Gossip Girl series of books was going to be turned into a single feature film. Starring Lindsay Lohan.
6.The film Tron was banned from the category of ‘best special effects’ at that year’s Oscars. The judging panel felt that using a computer for special effects was cheating.
7.Everyone can tell you that Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad’s Walter White) was on Malcolm in the Middle, but fewer people are aware that he provided the voice for two monsters - Snizard and Twin Man - in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
8.Clint Eastwood was offered the role of James Bond after Sean Connery left, but declined, saying Bond should always be played by a Brit. A little later he was also offered the role of Superman, but declined that as well, for the reason that he didn’t feel comfortable dressing up in a cape and tights.
9.When Patrick Stewart was confirmed as playing lead character Jean Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, one reporter wasn’t overly keen on the show’s producers’ choice. At a press conference, he questioned the production team, asking ‘surely they would have cured baldness in the 24th century’. The show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry came back with the perfect retort: ‘In the 24th century, they wouldn’t care!’
10.The original title for The Lion King was King of the Jungle - until someone pointed out that Lions don’t actually live in the jungle.
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