Someone says that Jack Nicholson was asked by FFC to play Michael and turned the role down. Is this an urban legend or what? I love Jack -- think he is one of the best, but I think he would have been terribly miscast as Michael. Any one know if there is truth to this, and if there is what are your thoughts?

God I hope not

"This one time Kay, I'll let you ask me about my business."

"Did you?"

"you want the truth? YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!"

That would've been a disaster.

I could imagine Nicholson in his draggy voice..."Oh, he's smarter than me too pop. He's 3 years old and he already reads the funny papers (laughs almost hysterically), you believe that pop? 3 years old and he can read the funny papers. (laughs hysterically)"

I have seen Jack Nicholson only in later films, when he was quite old. I can definitely visualize him in vito's role, tough to imagine as michael unless I see one of his starting films.

Redford, DeNiro, Ryan O'Neal... several were considered for the role... we're just lucky that history played out the way it did and Al got the role and ran with it.

In his definitive, "The Godfather Legacy" (a must for anyone here), Harlan Lebo says Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman and Ryan O'Neill were considered for the Michael role.

Oh, Warren Beatty, puke.

Lets just be thankfull, that what is done, is done & can't be undone!
I think that is what i mean...

yea FFC said that when he was reading the book at the Sicily scene he just invisioned Al Pacino as Micheal Corleone, so thats who he wanted, BTW Al Pacino anncestors actually come from Corleone Sicily

I could see Jack as Tom. Imagine the chill as he tells Woltz with that sly grin how his boss likes his bad news delivered immediately. Not that Duvall wasn't perfect for the part already, of course.

What about Roberto Benigni as Fabrizio? He would've been, what, still in his early 20s?

You forgot (though I can't blame you given the hilarious absurdity) Rod Steiger.

He would of done a horrible job as Michael.

I imagine Nicholson could have done a decent job as Michael especially in the restaurant scene just before he kills Sollozzo. He could have ordered a "chicken salad sandwich".

Jack Nicholson is a great actor. He is good in any movie. However, I just can't imagine him as Michael Corleone. He just wouldn't have fit.

Puzo gave a detailed physical discription of each brother in the novel, so it would be impossible to imagine even with make-up and dyed hair, Ryan O'Neal or Robert Redford in the role of Michael.

I recall soon after it was announced that Al Pacino had been cast as Michael there was an article in my local paper's Art & Entertainment section with his photograph. I couldn't believe how perfect looking he was for the part going by the discription of Michael in the book. I was glad that Al Pacino is an Italian with Italian features playing an Italian.

I read somewhere that Ernest Borgnine tested for the role of Don Vito Corleone.

I was going to start a new thread entitled "If you were casting Godfather I today" who would you choose, but I couldn't think of anyone. Oh, well its almost 2:00am.

Jack Nicholson as Micheal Corleone - hell no! lol