NEAR-MISS CASTING CALAMITIES

New York Post - 17th Aug 2008

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Harrison Ford: WOULD Harrison Ford's career have been different had he taken the role of Meathead on "All in the Family?"

Ford turned down the classic part of Archie Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, which ended up becoming Rob Reiner's breakout role.

And Rosie O'Donnell almost landed in our living room on a daily basis as Jerry Seinfeld's female best friend, Elaine Benes, on "Seinfeld," the character Julia Louis-Dreyfus nailed.

A new book, "Mickey Rooney as Archie Bunker and Other TV Casting Almosts" by Eila Mell, reveals hundreds of weird casting would-have-beens.

"I interviewed tons of casting directors and discovered all these castings that didn't happen either because some turned down the role, or some didn't get it. Some were just totally wrong for the part and just auditioned," Mell told Page Six.

* The legendary Rooney was offered the Archie Bunker part but turned it down because he didn't want to play a bigot.

* Whitney Houston turned down the role of Denise Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" because she wanted to have a singing career. Lisa Bonet took the part.

* Rachel Dratch played Jenna Maroney in the pilot for "30 Rock," but producers pulled the part from her and gave it to sexpot Jane Krakowski.

* Casting directors thought "The Office" cutie Jenna Fischer wasn't sexy enough to play Sydney Bristow on "Alias," so they handed the role to Jennifer Garner.

* Leonardo DiCaprio almost landed on "Baywatch" as David Hasselhoff's son.

* Courteney Cox's Monica Geller on "Friends" was nearly played by Nancy McKeon, who had finished "The Facts of Life" years earlier.

Mell has another book out all about movies, titled "Casting Might Have Beens."

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