Billy Dee Williams v Tommy Lee Jones (or BDW v TLJ)

[johnnygobbs]

I just read the following feature regarding movie recasting with respect to Harvey Dent:

http://www.empireonline.com/features/recast-movie-characters/7.asp

Frankly, I couldn't agree more with their opinion.  TLJ is a great actor but he failed miserably as Harvey Dent (his performance was basically a bad copy of Jack's Joker).  BDW, although perhaps not the first person many people would have imagined as Dent (similar to Keaton as Batman) is nevertheless, inspired casting.  My only gripe, if any, would have been that he was a good few years older than Keaton, and I always imagine Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent as contempories (like say, college buddies).  Plus, it was disappointing that Keaton never really got to share a scene with Williams, although I imagine Wayne and Dent were acquainted since the latter appears at Bruce Wayne's benefit party.

Anyway, anyone else got comments on Williams' potential Two Face?

[GuedesGothamKnight]

I think BDW would be a really good Two-Face, even with the appearance differences. His portrail of Dent was pretty good, I too wish he and Keaton had a scene together, man! Now TLJ as Two-Face... I prefer no comments.

[Sandman]

I agree, Did anyone ever notice that TLJ performance in Batman Forever was basicly the same as his in Natural Born Killers.

[johnnygobbs]

It's clear from Billy Dee Williams' interview for the Batman dvd, that he was a little annoyed that he didn't get to reprise the role of Harvey Dent for any of the sequels.  Also, he subtly implies that he didn't think much of Tommy Lee Jones' portrayal of Two-Face saying that his take on the character would have been very different.

What I don't get is that Schumacher stated in an interview that BDW was too heroic-looking for the role of Two-Face, but surely that's the point (as Christopher Nolan recognised himself when he cast the equally heroic-looking Aaron Eckhart in the role).  Harvey Dent is meant to start off as a hero, with a possible but well-hidden 'dark side'; that's the tragedy of the character.  He becomes 'bad' after he gets scarred.

The thing is Tommy Lee Jones already looks quite wrinkled and weathered even before you apply the Two-Face makeup.  I hope it doesn't read like I'm not a fan of TLJ, since I think he's been brilliant in many movies including No Country...  He just didn't do a great job in Batman Forever IMO, and unlike Jack Nicholson, I got the impression that he thought the job of a comic-book villian was beneath him.

[The Dark Knight]

Billy Dee Williams as Two-Face would have been interesting, and obviously a damn sight better than Tommy Lee Jones. I don't particularly care of his skin colour, as Harvey Dent is a white man. Billy Dee Williams has the charisma and agression needed for such a role. Plus with Burton directing the whole thing would have been magnified.

[riddler]

Burton was only planing on having the riddler. The initial plan was to have just 2 face as the villain in batman 3 (this was before the final draft of batman returns), then it was switched to the riddler. Schumacher decided to include both.

I agree 2 face was handled poorly in forever by a great actor. He's supposed to be a tragic character but instead acts like a cheap incarnation of the joker. The riddler was there for comic relief, two face should have been his more tragic self and deserved more of an origin.

[The Joker]

I think Billy Dee would have worked out wonderfully as Two-Face if the character would have been chosen as the villain for Batman Returns.

By the time Batman Forever rolled around, I'm not sure how Billy Dee would have worked from a marketing standpoint with Schumacher in 1994/1995. WB made no bones about preferring big name movie stars for the roles of the villains, and with Tommy Lee Jones recently having completed The Fugitive, and The Client .. I can see why he was deemed more marketable by the WB brass (ditto on Carrey since he was on a roll as well) as I honestly can't remember anything from Billy Dee that got much attention in the early-mid 1990's.

Unfortunately, and despite his son being a fan of the funny books from what I understand, Jones' approach left alot to be desired. I know the guy could have done a hell of alot better, but the overall approach from WB and Schumacher was to indeed, lighten everything up for the general audiences.

In short, I would have had alot of interest in seeing Billy Dee's approach under Burton's direction, and opposite Keaton. Billy Dee playing Two-Face with Joel Schumacher directing? Not so much.

[GuedesGothamKnight]

I imagine too, if we had Two-Face in BR... would be so interesting!

[phantom stranger]

I agree, Did anyone ever notice that TLJ performance in Batman Forever was basicly the same as his in Natural Born Killers.

Never saw Natural Born Killers but I'd say it was definitely the same role he played in Under Siege.

[Azrael]

(last reply 4 years ago, yes... I liked it so I had to put it somewhere, in a fitting topic)

22 Rejected Scenes from the Credits of Superhero Movies