Two films with casting challenges: from a Tom Cruise backlash to Angela Bassett landing the role of Tina Turner 30 days before filming.
Was there ever a bigger casting furore in the 1990s than when Tom Cruise landed the role of Lestat in Interview With The Vampire? Based on the book by Anne Rice, the author herself was incandescent, taking out advertising the slam the casting. Meanwhile, there were issues over keeping the rights – and problems that could have been avoided had John Travolta – as was once planned – accepted the role in the 1970s!
The late Tina Turner meanwhile claimed that – for very good reasons – she never watched the 1993 biopic of her life, What’s Love Got To Do With It? She was very involved with it, though, not least approving Angela Bassett for the lead role. The challenge? Bassett got the job just 30 days before the start of filming…
Stories of both are told in this episode…
