A closer look
Studio executives at Orion Pictures seriously considered casting O.J. Simpson as the titular cyborg assassin in the 1984 sci-fi classic The Terminator. Director James Cameron firmly rejected the idea, allegedly arguing that the former football star was far too likeable and goofy to be taken seriously as a cold-blooded, remorseless killer. Hindsight is a remarkably funny thing, especially when Hollywood's flawless radar for character assessment ages like milk left on a Los Angeles sidewalk in mid-July. Instead, they went with Arnold Schwarzenegger, a man whose acting range consisted of flexing and mispronouncing basic English syllables, while O.J. went on to star in his own highly publicized, real-world courtroom drama a decade later. Truly, the casting directors dodged a massive public relations nightmare by a margin as thin as a leather glove!
