Jack Nicholson Was First Choice To Play Paraplegic Soldier....

Jack Nicholson was the first actor offered Jon Voight's paraplegic character in cult 1978 movie Coming Home.On the eve of the film's 30th anniversary re-release, producer Jerry Hellman reveals Voight was originally cast as Jane Fonda's mean husband because he had his sights set on Nicholson playing the soldier hero Luke Martin. Bruce Dern eventually took the role Voight had been cast to play and the Deliverance star opted to play a cripple - a part that earned him an Oscar, alongside co-star Fonda.Hellman recalls, "During the course of the time that we were developing the script (director) Hal Ashby gave the script to Jack Nicholson, with whom he had made The Last Detail, and Jack turned it down".And Nicholson wasn't the only big name the role was offered to.Hellman adds, "Without Hal or I approving or knowing about it, this executive sent the script to Sylvester Stallone to play Luke."We had a hurried meeting and we decided that if Sylvester Stallone wanted to do the part, we would quit and take the movie some place else. He didn't have anything whatsoever to do with our vision of how Luke should be played."Meanwhile Jon Voight was tugging at our sleeves every day saying, 'I can play this.' He had spent so much time with the Vets by then he knew where they were coming from and he was desperate for this opportunity. He had such a passion and a hunger for the role".

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