The 1997 indie film Boogie Nights is undoubtedly one of the best films of all time. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film starred Mark Wahlberg in the lead role of Dirk Diggler. Apart from Wahlberg’s character, the other main pillar of the film was Jack Horner played by Burt Reynolds.
While the strong star cast played a significant role in its success, the initial casting choices differed. For instance, the role of Dirk Diggler was initially offered to Leonardo DiCaprio, and Warren Beatty was considered for the role of the adult filmmaker Jack Horner. Beatty was extremely close to playing the role of Horner, but due to some miscommunication, he lost the part.
Warren Beatty missed out on a role because of a misunderstanding
The Academy Awards-nominated film Boogie Nights revolved around the story of an 18-year-old school dropout Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), who is discovered by an adult filmmaker called Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) and soon starts working for him.
Adams works under the stage name Dirk Diggler and soon becomes a renowned name in the adult film industry. The film garnered a positive review from the audience and the performance of Wahlberg and Reynolds was well-appreciated as well.
However, during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson revealed that Warren Beatty was initially considered for the role of Jack Horner, but due to some misunderstanding, he lost the part. According to Anderson, the role of Horner required a person who is a sexagenarian, and Beatty who was 60 years old then, fitted perfectly for the role.
When Anderson approached Beatty for the role, he enthusiastically accepted the offer to be a part of the film. However, later when they discussed the project, Anderson realized that there was major confusion about the roles, as Beatty was planning to perform the role of 18-year-old Eddie.
Anderson tried to clear this misunderstanding but by now, Beatty was adamant about playing Eddie. When the director offered the role of Jack Horner to Beatty he turned it down. Later, the role eventually went to veteran actor Burt Reynolds.
Burt Reynolds aced the role in Boogie Nights
The role of Jack Horner was so neatly played by Burt Reynolds that now when we look back, it’s indeed hard to imagine anyone else playing the role. Usually, the character of an adult filmmaker is considered exploitative, but Reynolds’ kind demeanor added a certainly different dynamic to the character.
Reynolds’ role as Jack Horner was well appreciated by the audience yet, he didn’t like working on Boogie Nights. Before finally agreeing to play the role, he rejected the role seven times. There were times when Reynolds indulged in arguments with the director as he wasn’t content with his role.
Even though the actor didn’t like his role, Boogie Nights is considered one of the best films of his career. Moreover, Reynolds also earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in the film.
Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live
