Se7en, the deeply disturbing serial killer film from directorDavid Fincher, is turning 30 this year. While you silently cry over how many years have passed, here’s an awesome detail that Fincher has just confirmed: Kevin Spacey wasn’t his first choice to play the cold-blooded killer, John Doe. As it turns out, another, much different Hollywood legend was his first pick.
Fincher spoke toVarietyabout the film’s upcoming 4K restoration, and he used the opportunity to reminisce about making such an important film in his career.Alien 3had opened to terrible reviews, and three years later, Fincher was still feeling the effects of an industry that had turned its back on him. Fortunately, it all worked out for the best, asSe7enshot him into stardom as one of modern cinema’s most interesting auteurs.
Se7en: A Look Back at the Quintessential ’90s Crime Thriller
By adding horror elements and filtering noir tropes through the aesthetic of the ’90s, David Fincher made the quintessential thriller with Se7en.
One important detail that Fincher expanded on in the conversation was the casting of Kevin Spacey as John Doe. Apparently, Ned Beatty, the character actor best known for films likeNetworkandDeliverance,had at some point been considered for the role of the serial killer, whose heinous murders are based on the Seven Deadly Sins – because someone close to Fincher suggested that Beatty had a resemblance to the 1969 sketch of the Zodiac Killer (Beatty has no resemblance to the sketch). Per Fincher:
“I’m pretty sure we got word back fairly [quickly] … I think he had it for the weekend.He may have called Saturday morning. ‘No, thank you.‘The person I was kind of most interested in at that time was Christopher Guest. This is how wide a net we were casting. It’s a strange alchemy. It’s like, ‘I know that this guy worked great across Brad. Will he work great opposing Morgan?’ I try to be the person who is looking less at the physiognomy and less at who says ‘police chief.'”
Christopher Guest is a comedic actor famous for his roles inThis Is Spinal TapandSaturday Night Live. Guest, who went on to direct some of the greatest comedies of all time, includingBest in ShowandA Mighty Wind, would have been an interesting choice forSe7en. Other performers considered for the role of Doe were R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe, Val Kilmer, and R. Lee Ermey, who would end up playing the police captain. All interesting choices, taking into account thatFincher’s previous experience of directingwas the infamousAliensequel, which the studio butchered, proving they weren’t aligned with Fincher’s vision.
John Doe in ‘Se7en’ Is One of Cinema’s Most Effective Villains
Eventually, Kevin Spacey would take on the role of John Doe inSe7en. But it wasn’t a cheap selection. Spacey asked for too much money, and the studio refused to pay. Before Brad Pitt moved his pieces to convince everyone he was the right John Doe, the production started with a stand-in playing Doe.
When the studio reached an agreement, they did so under a couple of conditions: One, he’d have to complete filming in just a couple of weeks. And, more importantly, Spacey’s name couldn’t be included on the poster or in the opening credits. He just didn’t want tospoil the surprise for the millions of viewerswho ultimately witnessed the wrath of one of cinema’s most unforgettable villains.
