In 1997 O’Donnell starred in Batman and Robin alongside George Clooney.
It was the beginning of the end for his incredible film career. Box office and critical hits like Scent of a Woman, The Three Musketeers and Circle of Friends had made him one of the biggest leading men in Hollywood.
One director has just revealed that Steven Spielberg wanted O’Donnell to play the lead in what would become the second biggest smash of 1997, after Titanic.
Barry Sonnenfeld, however, didn’t want O’Donnell in his film and tricked him into turning it down.
The film was Men in Black and the lead role of Agent J might have transformed O’Donnell’s career.
Sonnenfeld had his sights set on Will Smith but had been instructed by Steven Spielberg to convince O’Donell to take the part. He resorted to trickery and manipulation to get the leading man he wanted.
Read his shameless confession next.
Sonnenfeld said: “(Spielberg) told me I had to go to dinner with Chris (O’Donnell) and convince Chris to be in the movie.
“But I knew I wanted Will Smith, so I told Chris that I wasn’t a very good director and I didn’t think the script was very good and if he had any other options he shouldn’t do Men in Black.
“He let it be known the next day that he was not interested.”
Ultimately, it’s clear that Sonnefeld made the right decision.
O’Donnell, however, is unlikely to feel so happy about it. The bloated Batman and Robin was a box office flop and derided by critics and fans alike. It spectacularly ended the big screen Batman franchise until Chris Nolan’s 2005 reboot. Batman and Robin director Joel Schumacher has actually apologised to fans for the disastrous film.
O’Donnell, meanwhile, recovered and forged a hugely successful second career on television and currently stars in NCIS Los Angeles.
Daily Express :: Entertainment Feed
