Adam Sandler has starred in (and produced) plenty of hit films. Not only that, but he's gotten his friends on board for some of the most epic films plus a few total flops. Either way, anything with Sandler's name attached tends to earn plenty of notoriety.
So when it came time to cast the stars of 'Anger Management,' actors were probably jumping at the chance, right? Not exactly.
Adam himself wanted a certain someone to star in the film with him, but he didn't wind up casting the star he preferred.
Unlike many of Adam's other projects, this one wasn't directed by him -- but as the lead, Sandler had plenty of influence on the film. Besides, his company (Happy Madison Productions) was also involved in the production process.
Of course, that didn't mean Adam had all kinds of pull when it came to casting. IMDb suggests that the role of Dr. Buddy Rydell was intended for another actor entirely. Fans know that Jack Nicholson wound up nabbing the role -- and by all accounts, that turned out great.
Nicholson helped round out the film's funny moments, although the movie wasn't entirely well-received by fans. So perhaps it might've been better had Adam gotten Eddie Murphy on board as he had intended!
Eddie Murphy has a long comedic history -- and his films have grossed an insane amount of cash -- but he clearly wasn't interested in the role. Although, losing out on Murphy may not have been the biggest misstep in the movie.
According to IMDb, other contenders for the role of Dr. Buddy included Bill Murray, Dustin Hoffman, and Robert De Niro. Clearly, casting any one of those famous faces could've changed the film -- whether for better or worse -- immensely.
Of course, certain critics think that the movie was doomed regardless. Roger Ebert called the concept "inspired" but said the execution of the film was "lame." Though he called it one of Adam's best movies, he also elaborated that it was far from Nicholson's best.
Even the well-rounded cast -- including Marisa Tomei, Woody Harrelson, John Turturro, January Jones, Heather Graham, and Luis Guzmán -- wasn't enough to save the movie. Not to mention, countless celebs had cameos; Derek Jeter and Rudy Giuliani, for example.
The main pitfall, said Ebert, was that Adam's characters are always so similar. He suggested that Nicholson, a high-achieving industry great, could've saved the film if only Adam had let him.
But really, plenty of fans enjoyed the movie -- and it even inspired a spinoff series that starred the then-disgraced (and recently fired from 'Two and a Half Men') Charlie Sheen. So maybe it wasn't entirely terrible without Eddie Murphy after all.
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