Indebted to Travolta, Gere
Richard Gere has said that he feels oddly grateful to John Travolta because several of his most prominent parts were originally given to Travolta but he declined them. Including his breakthrough performance in American Gigolo, Gere had four such roles in critically acclaimed films. Film roles included ones in Days of Heaven and An Officer and a Gentleman. Probably most notably, Travolta declined an offer to star in the film version of the Broadway musical Chicago, a part that was accepted by Gere and for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe. It’s funny to imagine what may have been had Travolta been cast instead of Gere, but the latter certainly deserved the parts.