page_title: Production of Ben-Hur (1959 film)
section_title: Casting
hierarchical_section_title: Production of Ben-Hur (1959 film) / Pre-production / Casting
caption_attribution_description: English: Marina Berti &amp; Charlton Heston in Ben-Hur - publicity still
context_page_description: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer originally announced a remake of the 1925 silent film Ben-Hur in December 1952, ostensibly as a way to spend its Italian assets. Stewart Granger and Robert Taylor were reported to be in the running for the lead. Nine months later, MGM announced it would make the film in CinemaScope, with shooting beginning in 1954. In November 1953, MGM announced it had assigned producer Sam Zimbalist to the picture and hired screenwriter Karl Tunberg to write it. Zimbalist was chosen because he had produced MGM's Best Picture-nominated Christians-and-lions epic Quo Vadis in 1951. The studio then announced in July 1954 that production would start in March 1955 with 42 speaking parts and 97 sets. MGM said Sidney Franklin would direct, that the script by Tunberg was finished, that shooting would occur in Rome and in Spain, and that Marlon Brando was up for the lead. In September 1955, Zimbalist, who continued to claim that Tunberg's script was complete, announced that a $7 million, six-to-seven month production would begin in April 1956 in either Israel or Egypt in MGM's new 65mm widescreen process. MGM, however, suspended production in early 1956.
context_section_description: Several actors were offered the role of Judah Ben-Hur before it was accepted by Charlton Heston. Burt Lancaster claimed he turned down the role because he found the script boring and belittling to Christianity. Paul Newman turned it down because he said he didn't have the legs to wear a tunic. Marlon Brando, Rock Hudson, Geoffrey Horne, and Leslie Nielsen were also offered the role, as were a number of muscular, handsome Italian actors (many of whom did not speak English). Kirk Douglas was interested in the role, but was turned down in favor of Heston, who was formally cast on January 22, 1958. His salary was $250,000 for 30 weeks, a prorated salary for any time over 30 weeks, and travel expenses for his family.
  Stephen Boyd was cast as the antagonist, Messala, on April 13, 1958. William Wyler originally wanted Heston for the role, but sought another actor after he moved Heston into the role of Judah Ben-Hur. Wyler tried to interest Kirk Douglas in the role of Messala, but Douglas turned him down. Stewart Granger also turned down the role, reportedly because he did not want to take second billing to Charlton Heston. Boyd was a contract player at 20th Century Fox when Wyler cast him. Because both Boyd and Heston had blue eyes, Wyler had Boyd outfitted with brown contact lenses as a way of contrasting the two men.
  Wyler typically cast the Romans with British actors and the Jews with American actors to help underscore the divide between the two groups. The Romans were the aristocrats in the film, and Wyler believed that American audiences would interpret British accents as patrician. Marie Ney was originally cast as Miriam, but was fired after two days of work because she could not cry on cue. Heston says that he was the one who suggested that Wyler cast Martha Scott (who had played the mother of Heston's Moses in The Ten Commandments, and with whom he'd worked on Broadway) as Miriam. Scott was hired on July 17, 1958. Cathy O'Donnell was Wyler's sister-in-law, and although her career was in decline (Ben-Hur would be her last screen performance) Wyler cast her as Tirzah. More than 30 actresses were considered for the role of Esther. The Israeli actress Haya Harareet, a relative newcomer to film, was cast as Esther on May 16, 1958, after providing a 30-second silent screen test. Wyler had met her at the Cannes Film Festival, where she impressed him with her conversational skills and force of personality. Sam Jaffe was cast as Simonides on April 3, 1958, primarily because he had become famous for his roles as a wise old patriarch in a number of films. Finlay Currie was cast as Balthasar the same day as Jaffe. Wyler had to persuade Jack Hawkins to appear in the film, because Hawkins was unwilling to act in another epic motion picture so soon after The Bridge on the River Kwai. Wyler's efforts at persuasion were successful, and Hawkins was cast on March 18, 1958. Hugh Griffith, who gained acclaim in the post-World War II era in Ealing Studios comedies, was cast as the comical Sheik Ilderim. Finlay Currie had worked with Zimbalist before on Quo Vadis, playing St. Peter, was cast as Balthasar.
  Out of respect for the divinity of Christ, and consistent with Lew Wallace's stated preference, Wyler decided before the production began that the face of Jesus would not be shown. The role of Jesus was played by Claude Heater, who was uncredited for the role. Heater was an American opera singer performing with the Vienna State Opera in Rome when he was asked to do a screen test for the film.
  In casting, Wyler placed heavy emphasis on characterization rather than looks or acting history. For example, he cast a British actor for the role of the centurion who denies Judah Ben-Hur water at Nazareth. When the actor demanded higher pay, the first assistant director selected a different actor. Wyler, who believed the centurion's reaction to his confrontation with Jesus Christ was critical, shut down the production at a cost of $15,000 while the original actor was retrieved from Rome.
  MGM opened a casting office in Rome in mid-1957 to select the 50
caption: Charlton Heston and Marina Berti in Ben-Hur
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