Funny or unusual casting

[The Burgomaster]

I just bought KING OF KINGS on DVD. Some critics made negative comments about a pretty-boy like Jeffrey Hunter being cast as Jesus Christ. I think a funnier bit of casting in the movie was Harry Guardino (from "Dirty Harry" and many other movies) as Barabbas. I kept expecting him to say something like, "Callahan, you can't go around torturing suspects." Of course, at the time, most people probably didn't know who Harry Guardino was, so it only seems strange seeing him in the role today.

Other strange/amusing casting choices:

* John Wayne as Genghis Khan in "The Conqueror." (This one is so obvious that I almost didn't even bother mentioning it).

* John Wayne as a Centurian guard in "The Greatest Story Ever Told."

* Christopher Lambert as a Sicilian in "The Sicilian."

* Al Pacino as a Revolutionary War soldier (complete with Brooklyn accent) in "Revolution."

* Harvey Keitel as (I can't remember who - John the Baptist, maybe?) in "The Last Temptation of Christ."

* Donald Pleasance (complete with British accent) as the President of the United States in "Escape from New York."

I'll stop there and leave room for the rest of you to add to the list . . .

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[Dolph Lundgren]

I know I'm gonna forget some obvious ones, but here are a few off of the top of my head:

Christopher Walken as a take-no-prisoners/veteran/all around ass kicker in the classic McBain.  Don't get me wrong, Walken is awesome, but the casting in this one puzzled me.  When I think of a hardass commando type, Christopher Walken ranks right up there somewhere between Carrot Top and Screech from Saved by the Bell.  The movie's great though, and Walken's good in it as well.

Pat Morita in Van Damme's Desert Heat.  I doubt anyone's seen this movie, except for die hard JCVD fans.  Pat Morita, the legendary Mr. Miyagi from Karate Kid, runs around in this movie switching accents (sometimes he sounds British, and other times he sounds like a leprechaun) and telling people that he bets JCVD's character probably "gets a lot of p***y".  Talk about an eye-opening moment right there.  

Christopher Lambert as Raiden in Mortal Kombat.  A lot of people might disagree with me on this one, but for some reason, I've always found this to be hilarious.  I don't really know why.  I love the movie to death, but I've always found it strange that a bunch of suits gathered around and decided that Lambert should be Raiden.  Hey, why not?

Van Damme as Guile in Street Fighter.  One of the greatest bad movies ever, simply put.  Words can't describe this one.  Van Damme looks nothing like Guile, and has an accent, but hey, it works out fine in the end.  And while we're at it, the late but great Raul Julia as M. Bison?  I would've loved to have been at the casting meeting for this movie.  

These are pretty poor examples, but they're the only ones I can think of right now.  But you had some great ones, Burgomaster.  Especially with Keitel and Pleasance.

Nick

[Fearless Freep]

Brion James as the President in "Time Runner".   Maybe it's just me, but I've seen him as the bad guy, or a second-in-command type or both, to take him seriously as the a politician.  Like "aw..c'mon....no one would vote for Brion James!"

Richard Lynch as a priest in "Savage Dawn" Too creepy looking to take seriously enough as a priest, so the fact that he's a letch on the side comes as a surprise to no one

[Evan3]

Robin WIlliams in Insomnia, it was good, but u should never introduce a famous comedian who is trying to act serious, with a phone call where he says "whats up, cant sleep?" Sounds like a commercial/ or a beginning of a monologue.

[The Burgomaster]

Nick - Walken also played a tough, kick ass military guy in THE DOGS OF WAR. I guess he's 0 for 2.

[Deej]

Burt Lancaster, Chuck Connors, Sal Mineo, Tom Laughlin  and every other white dude who ever played an American Indian in a movie. That's just BAD!

[The Burgomaster]

Poor Sal Mineo . . . reduced to playing a chimpanzee in ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES . . . and then tragically murdered . . .

[Andrew]

John Saxon as Kleel in Prisoners of the Lost Universe

Lou Diamond Phillips as the weathered sheriff in Bats

AND

Mae West as the "sexy" Marlo Manners in Sextette

On the other hand, Travolta was perfect as a huge, laughing alien in "Battlefield Earth."

[Drezzy]

Travolta's practically perfect in EVERY role. He's an amazing actor...with really awful selection skills as to what roles he chooses and what roles he passes on.

After watching Ghostbusters at least 10 times each year since the age of 3 (and I'm turning 17 in 2 1/2 months), I can't picture either Harold Ramis OR Dan Aykroyd as anybody other than Egon Spengler or Ray Stantz, respectively. Murray I can easily do that too, because he's had so many different roles, and Hudson has appeared in quite a few (too many) b-grade action flicks.

Arnold was born to be Terminator, and MAYBE Jack Slater and Quaid. Him in anything else is odd.

[Dr. X, Yyz, Sr. .]

Christopher reeves in the re-make of Rear Window. It was just too disturbibg watching him try to breathe

[Funk, E.]

How about when Peirce Brosnan played an American Indian in Ggrey Hawk or some s**t like that.

[yaddo42]

William Smith as the President in TERROR IN BEVERLY HILLS.
Yul Brynner in the title role of THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR, but I still like the film.
Burt Lancaster as a half-breed Mexican in VALDEZ IS COMING, a decent film that could actually do with a remake, maybe with Benicio Del Toro.
Ryan Phillippe as one half of the tough guy bad ass duo in WAY OF THE GUN.
Chuck Heston as a Mexican police detective in TOUCH OF EVIL, but the film is still a classic.
Julia Roberts as a hot babe in anything.
Charlotte Rampling as Robert Blake's white trash Southern girlfriend in CORKY.
Sean Connery as an Arab, a Barbary Pirate, a Russian, an Egyptian in THE ARAB CONSPIRACY, THE WIND AND THE LION, THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, and HIGHLANDER, respectively. But three of them worked out OK.

[Vermin Boy]

I remember there was a TV biopic of Hugh Hefner a while back that cast Pauly Shore as Lenny Bruce.

PAULY SHORE.

LENNY FRIGGIN' BRUCE.

I really hope someone was castrated for that decision.

[JohnL]

How about George C. Scott playing an American Indian in Firestarter?

[Lee]

A sweaty Rutger Hauer as The President of The United States in "Scrorcher." Cool movie but Rutger as President?! YIKES!!!