William Baldwin Was Nearly BATMAN
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Dec 31 2009, 9:12 PM
William Baldwin nearly Sliver-ed his way into the Batpod.
The Backdraft star tells Batman-On-Film that director Joel Schumacher, whom he worked with on 1990s Flatliners, had asked him to play the Caped Crusader in 1995's Batman Forever.
''I was one of Joel Schumacher's top choices when Val Kilmer wound up playing Batman [in BATMAN FOREVER]”, the actor, whose other credits include Sliver and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, told the site. ''Tim Burton and Michael Keaton had left, so Joel had the luxury of replacing Michael Keaton and he told me that his four choices – which was an eclectic, diverse array – were Daniel Day Lewis, Ralph Fiennes, Val Kilmer and me. I didn’t even know it at the time – he told me when I had a meeting with him later.”
Baldwin received another kick in the nads a couple of years later when Schumacher said that had George Clooney not signed on to play the titular role in Batman & Robin, the job would’ve been his.
‘’(Schumacher) said, “You were on my original short list with those other three actors, but the studio went with Val and this time I'd like to go with you.” And that Friday afternoon, I thought I was playing Batman – and then Monday morning, the headlines in the trades said that George Clooney had gotten the part. So apparently, I did actually come very close.''
As it turned out, Baldwin did eventually get to play Batman – he lends his voice to the character for Warner Premiere’s latest animated effort, Justice League : Crisis on Two Earths.
On a side note, William's brother Alec was considered for the role of Batman in Tim Burton's 1989 film.
William Baldwin nearly Sliver-ed his way into the Batpod.
The Backdraft star tells Batman-On-Film that director Joel Schumacher, whom he worked with on 1990s Flatliners, had asked him to play the Caped Crusader in 1995's Batman Forever.
''I was one of Joel Schumacher's top choices when Val Kilmer wound up playing Batman [in BATMAN FOREVER]”, the actor, whose other credits include Sliver and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, told the site. ''Tim Burton and Michael Keaton had left, so Joel had the luxury of replacing Michael Keaton and he told me that his four choices – which was an eclectic, diverse array – were Daniel Day Lewis, Ralph Fiennes, Val Kilmer and me. I didn’t even know it at the time – he told me when I had a meeting with him later.”
Baldwin received another kick in the nads a couple of years later when Schumacher said that had George Clooney not signed on to play the titular role in Batman & Robin, the job would’ve been his.
‘’(Schumacher) said, “You were on my original short list with those other three actors, but the studio went with Val and this time I'd like to go with you.” And that Friday afternoon, I thought I was playing Batman – and then Monday morning, the headlines in the trades said that George Clooney had gotten the part. So apparently, I did actually come very close.''
As it turned out, Baldwin did eventually get to play Batman – he lends his voice to the character for Warner Premiere’s latest animated effort, Justice League : Crisis on Two Earths.
On a side note, William's brother Alec was considered for the role of Batman in Tim Burton's 1989 film.
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