Tom Cruise as Andy Dufresne?
Though he was never made director, Rob Reiner served as Darabont’s mentor and had a say in casting. That said, he offered the role of Andy to Tom Cruise. The two worked together in 1992’s “A Few Good Men.” While the movie star was intrigued by the project, he simply didn’t want to work with an inexperienced director. Cruise said he would only take the part if Reiner was running the show.
Tom Cruise and Frank Darabont. Photo By Charbonneau/BEI/Shutterstock
After Cruise passed, the role of Andy was offered to Tom Hanks, Kevin Costner, and Nicolas Cage – all of them said no. Eventually, the part fell into the lap of Tim Robbins. Now, it’s clear that it was meant to be. I think it’s safe to say that no one could have done a better job.