Brad Pitt Lost a Cult Horror Sequel Role Before He Was Famous, and the Director Didn’t Even Remember Him
Even the biggest movie stars have a few rejections in their past, and Brad Pitt is no exception. Long before he became one of Hollywood’s most bankable names, the actor was going to auditions like everyone else, including one for a horror franchise that has since earned devoted cult status.
That franchise is ‘Phantasm’, created by writer-director Don Coscarelli. The original film arrived on March 28, 1979, and introduced audiences to Mike Pearson, the young hero played by A. Michael Baldwin, along with the sinister Tall Man and his deadly flying spheres.
When it came time for the 1988 sequel, though, Mike almost ended up being played by a future superstar. Coscarelli has revealed that Pitt auditioned for the lead in ‘Phantasm II’, but the role ultimately went to James Le Gros, a decision the filmmaker later admitted was a big mistake on his part.
The opening came about because of studio pressure. Universal agreed to back the sequel with a far bigger budget of around $3 million, but in return Coscarelli had to make concessions, including keeping the plot relatively straightforward and handing the role of Mike to a working actor.
Coscarelli has recalled that the studio simply would not let Baldwin return, forcing him to search for other actors. Even Reggie Bannister, who played the gun-toting Reggie, had to audition to keep his part.
Coscarelli resisted the decision but ultimately chose Le Gros for the role. Released on July 8, 1988, ‘Phantasm II’ picked up right where the first film ended, with Le Gros starring alongside Bannister and Angus Scrimm as the Tall Man.
The story behind Pitt’s audition only came out much later. Baldwin returned as Mike for 1994’s ‘Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead’, and he brought Coscarelli a remarkable anecdote along with him.
According to Coscarelli, Baldwin explained that he had been friends with Jennifer Aniston before she became famous. While spending time with her and her new boyfriend, Pitt walked over, recognized Baldwin as the ‘Phantasm’ guy, and told him he had auditioned for the role of Mike in the sequel but didn’t get it.
Coscarelli admitted he had no memory of meeting Pitt. When he went back through the ‘Phantasm II’ audition tapes, he found a clip of casting director Bersy Fels opening the office door and introducing him to Brad Pitt, who then read the film’s cemetery scene.
Coscarelli shared the story on a Sirius XM radio show while promoting his book ‘True Indie: Life and Death in Filmmaking’. He pointed out that Pitt wasn’t yet the star he would become, since the audition happened before his breakout in ‘Thelma & Louise’.
Still, the director made sure to stand by his choice. He described Le Gros as a terrific actor who has gone on to enjoy a stellar career, with credits including ‘Drugstore Cowboy’, ‘Point Break’ and ‘Oblivion’, as well as a memorable turn as the final patient of Dr. Gregory House.
Despite the casting drama, ‘Phantasm’ continued for decades. Baldwin played Mike in the first, third, fourth, and fifth films, with Le Gros remaining the only other actor to take on the role.
The series came to a close with ‘Phantasm: Ravager’, released on October 7, 2016. The original film also received a 4K restoration overseen by J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot, introducing a new generation of horror fans to Coscarelli’s nightmarish world.
As for Pitt, the rejection clearly didn’t slow him down. Still, it’s fun to imagine an alternate timeline where Hollywood’s future leading man spent his early career dodging the Tall Man’s silver spheres.
Do you think Brad Pitt would have been a good choice for Mike in ‘Phantasm II’?
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