‘Brothers’ Star Woody Harrelson Admits Jack Nicholson Rattled Him Out of an Oscar-Nominated Role
Woody Harrelson has reached the point in his career where auditions are mostly a thing of the past, but one particular tryout for ‘As Good as It Gets’ still sticks with him nearly 30 years later. The 1997 romantic comedy, directed by James L. Brooks from a screenplay he co-wrote with Mark Andrus, became a major critical and commercial hit.
The film starred Jack Nicholson as a misanthropic, obsessive-compulsive novelist, alongside Helen Hunt as a single mother and Greg Kinnear as a gay artist. It premiered on December 6, 1997, before opening in US theaters on Christmas Day, and went on to gross $314.1 million on a $50 million budget.
Behind the scenes, the casting process included an audition Harrelson has never forgotten. In 2020, the actor revealed that the last audition he can specifically remember was reading opposite Nicholson for Brooks, trying out for the role of Simon Bishop, the artist who lives next door to Nicholson’s Melvin Udall.
He didn’t land the part, and he’s been refreshingly honest about why. According to Far Out Magazine, Harrelson admitted he was so daunted by auditioning alongside Nicholson that he feels he could have done a better job in the room.
Despite the regret, Harrelson has no hard feelings. Far Out reported that he praised Kinnear’s performance, said you can’t really argue with Brooks’ casting, and noted that plenty of other actors wanted the role too, so he doesn’t feel too bad about missing out.
That generosity is well placed. Kinnear’s performance as Simon earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, turning the role into a major milestone in his career. Kinnear’s memory of his own audition couldn’t be more different. The audition took place at Nicholson’s house, and Kinnear recalled that it ended with a surprisingly casual invitation.
“He asked me afterwards if I wanted to stick around and have some spaghetti and meatballs,” Kinnear told CBS News correspondent Mo Rocca. “So I figured it had gone okay, and either way I was going to get a nice meal out of it.”
He found out a couple of days later that the part was his. It’s a charming contrast to Harrelson’s version of events, where the same setting left him completely thrown off his game. Harrelson wasn’t the only notable name tied to the role. John Cusack was reportedly considered for Simon Bishop but pulled out because of his commitments to writing, filming, and producing ‘Grosse Pointe Blank’.
The film had other interesting casting twists, too. Hunt has said Brooks initially wasn’t interested in her for the role of Carol, but changed his mind after the studio pushed him to consider her and he saw her audition. In the end, the film won 2 Oscars and earned 38 wins and 54 nominations overall, according to IMDb. Harrelson’s missed opportunity certainly didn’t hold him back, as he’s since built one of Hollywood’s most respected careers.
Still, his story is a reminder that even established stars can get starstruck. Facing Nicholson in a one-on-one audition was apparently enough to unnerve even a seasoned actor like Harrelson.
Do you think Woody Harrelson would have been a great Simon Bishop in As Good as It Gets?
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