Elizabeth Perkins reveals fun fact about Tom Hanks starrer 'Big'
Apr 10, 2021
Washington [US], April 10 : American actor Elizabeth Perkins, who played Susan in the 1988 comedy-drama 'Big' revealed a fun fact about the film. She stated that the lead actor of the movie Tom Hanks wasn't originally chosen to step atop that iconic piano as Josh.
According to E!News, during a recent appearance on 'Watch What Happens Live', the 60-year-old actor Perkins told host Andy Cohen that another Oscar winner was originally cast as the film's lead.
She revealed to a shocked Cohen," Robert de Niro was actually cast in the role of Josh in the movie Big. Then it fell apart because he had a scheduling conflict and then they went to Tom Hanks. It's like a totally different movie in my brain with Robert de Niro."
As reported by E!News, Perkins also confirmed she originally auditioned with de Niro prior to the casting swap.
While comparing him to Hanks, she said, "he was more moody. It was more of, a little bit of a horror movie, it was Robert de Niro wandering around the streets of New York."
She also noted that what Hanks brought to the role was "so much lighter." And the performance clearly clicked with audiences, as the film went on to become a box office success. It also earned Hanks his very first Oscar nomination.
During her virtual appearance on 'Watch What Happens Live', Perkins also admitted she had "such a crush" on Hanks while playing his on-screen love interest.
Perkins said of Hanks' now-wife, "I was single, he was with Rita Wilson already, they were dating, they hadn't gotten married yet. So he was completely off-limits. But he was adorable."
