Maddie James
John Hughes' directorial debut Sixteen Candles is one of the most popular romantic comedies of the 1980s. The film follows Molly Ringwald's character, Sam Baker, a young teenager whose 16th birthday is overshadowed by her older sister's wedding, causing her family to forget about her special day. The film also stars Anthony Michael Hall as Ted The Geek Farmer, who has a crush on Sam, and Michael Schoeffling as Jake Ryan, Sam's high school crush. While Schoeffling and Ringwald shared the screen in this coming-of-age classic, it almost looked very different, as Viggo Mortensen was in the running for the role of Jake Ryan.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Film | Sixteen Candles |
| Director | John Hughes |
| Year | 1984 |
| Genre | Romantic comedy, coming-of-age |
| Viggo Mortensen's role | Auditioned for the male lead, Jake Ryan |
| Reason for not getting the role | Casting director felt he was quiet and shy and his accent didn't suit the character |
| Actor who got the role | Michael Schoeffling |
| Actor who played Sam | Molly Ringwald |
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What You'll Learn
Viggo Mortensen auditioned for the role of Jake Ryan in Sixteen Candles
John Hughes' directorial debut, *Sixteen Candles*, is one of the most popular romantic comedies of the 1980s. The film follows Molly Ringwald's character, Sam Baker, a newly 16-year-old teenager dealing with her family forgetting her birthday and her unrequited crush on high school senior Jake Ryan, played by Michael Schoeffling.
When it came to casting the film's love interest, two actors were in the running: Michael Schoeffling and Viggo Mortensen. Ringwald, who played Sam, revealed in a 2011 interview that she had hoped Mortensen would be cast as Jake, saying, "I really wanted [Viggo Mortensen]. He made me weak in the knees. He really did."
Mortensen auditioned for the role of Jake Ryan, but the casting director, Jackie Burch, felt that he wasn't right for the part. She recalled that Mortensen was quiet and shy during his audition and that his accent didn't suit the character. Burch explained, "He had the heartthrob thing down, but we'll happily take him as Aragorn instead."
Mortensen's audition for *Sixteen Candles* took place before he became a well-known actor. His career took off after he portrayed Aragorn in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy in the early 2000s. Despite not getting the part in *Sixteen Candles*, Mortensen went on to have a successful career, starring in films such as *Portrait of a Lady*, *G.I. Jane*, and the Oscar-winning *Green Book*.
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Michael Schoeffling was cast as Jake Ryan instead
Michael Schoeffling was cast as Jake Ryan in John Hughes' 1984 coming-of-age comedy, Sixteen Candles. The film marked the directorial debut of Hughes, who also wrote the part of Sixteen Candles' Sam with the iconic red-haired teen actress Molly Ringwald in mind.
The role of Jake Ryan, the male lead, was contested between Viggo Mortensen and Michael Schoeffling. Despite Ringwald's preference for Mortensen, the casting director, Jackie Burch, ultimately chose Schoeffling. She explained that Mortensen's quiet and shy demeanour during the audition didn't translate well to the popular jock character of Jake Ryan. She also noted that she could detect an accent, which Mortensen was trying to conceal.
On the other hand, Schoeffling's quiet sweetness was deemed a better fit for the character. Schoeffling, a former model, brought a certain sadness and authenticity to his audition, which impressed Burch. Schoeffling's performance in Sixteen Candles marked his first movie credit, and the film helped launch his career.
Sixteen Candles tells the story of Sam (Ringwald), a young teenager whose 16th birthday is overshadowed by her older sister's wedding and her family's forgetfulness. The only thing keeping her going is her unrequited high school crush on Jake Ryan (Schoeffling), a senior in school. Meanwhile, she navigates the affections of Ted (Anthony Michael Hall), the only boy interested in her. The film captures the confusion, heartache, frustration, and awkwardness of being a teenager.
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Molly Ringwald, who played Sam, wanted Viggo Mortensen
John Hughes' directorial debut "Sixteen Candles" is one of the most popular romantic comedies of the 1980s. The film follows Molly Ringwald's character, Sam Baker, a young teenager whose 16th birthday is overshadowed by her older sister's wedding, causing her parents to forget about her special day. The only thing keeping her going is her unrequited high school crush, Jake Ryan, played by Michael Schoeffling. Sam also has to navigate the affections of Ted, played by Anthony Michael Hall, who is known as "The Geek" and is the only boy interested in her.
Molly Ringwald, who played Sam, was brought in to play the main character of Samantha as John Hughes had written the character based on her. For the role of Jake, both Viggo Mortensen and Michael Schoeffling were in the running. Two decades after "Sixteen Candles" was released, Ringwald revealed in an interview that she had wanted Mortensen for the role: "I really wanted [Viggo Mortensen]. He made me weak in the knees. He really did." She also disclosed that she auditioned with both Mortensen and Schoeffling, but only one actor kissed her during the audition, which left her smitten.
Mortensen auditioned for the role of Jake Ryan in "Sixteen Candles", but the casting director, Jackie Burch, felt that Schoeffling's quiet sweetness suited the character better. Burch recalled how quiet Mortensen was and how he was attempting to hide his accent. She also knew that Ringwald was going to star in the film and that she preferred Mortensen for the role. However, at the time, Ringwald did not have enough clout to veto the casting director's decision.
Looking back, the significant age difference between Ringwald and Schoeffling may explain why he didn't kiss her during their audition—she was 15, and he was 23. It is also worth noting that "Sixteen Candles" has not aged well due to its raunchy and mature content compared to other teen comedies of the '80s. The film also features damaging references to date rape and a vicious caricature of Asian stereotypes.
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Mortensen lost the role due to his quietness and accent
John Hughes' 1984 directorial debut "Sixteen Candles" is one of the most popular romantic comedies of the 1980s. It follows the story of Sam (Molly Ringwald), a young teenager whose 16th birthday is overshadowed by her older sister's wedding, causing her parents to forget about her special day. The film also stars Anthony Michael Hall, who plays Ted, a nerdy character with a huge crush on Sam.
Michael Schoeffling plays Jake Ryan, Sam's high school crush. However, the role of Jake Ryan almost went to Viggo Mortensen. In a 2011 interview, Ringwald revealed that she had hoped Mortensen would be cast as Jake, saying, "I really wanted [Viggo Mortensen]. He made me weak in the knees. He really did."
Mortensen auditioned for the role, but the casting director, Jackie Burch, ultimately decided to cast Schoeffling. Burch recalled that Mortensen was “so quiet” during his audition and that she could hear his accent. She felt that Mortensen's quietness and accent didn't suit the character of Jake, who was supposed to be a popular jock. She also mentioned that Schoeffling's “quiet sweetness” better fit the character.
Looking back, another factor in the casting decision may have been the significant age difference between Ringwald and Mortensen. At the time of the audition, Ringwald was 15, while Mortensen was 23. This age gap may have contributed to the discomfort some viewers now feel when watching the film, which features mature themes and a large age gap between the lead characters.
Despite missing out on the role in "Sixteen Candles," Mortensen went on to have a successful career, including starring in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and winning an Oscar for his performance in "Green Book."
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Sixteen Candles was released in 1984
Sixteen Candles, released in 1984, is a coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by John Hughes. It stars Molly Ringwald as Samantha "Sam" Baker, a high school student whose 16th birthday is overshadowed by her older sister's wedding and her family's forgetfulness. The film also stars Anthony Michael Hall as Ted "The Geek" Farmer, who has a crush on Sam, and Michael Schoeffling as Jake Ryan, Sam's love interest and the object of her unrequited crush.
The film was John Hughes' directorial debut and helped launch the careers of its three main stars, Ringwald, Schoeffling, and Hall. It is considered one of Hughes' best films and is known for its portrayal of teenage life, capturing the confusion, heartache, frustration, and awkwardness of adolescence. Sixteen Candles is also notable for its blend of humour and empathy, with much of the film's laughter stemming from embarrassing situations that Sam finds herself in.
In addition to its cultural impact, Sixteen Candles is also significant for its place in the history of Hollywood. It was released during the 1980s, a decade that saw the birth of many classic teen comedies. The film's writer-director, John Hughes, was instrumental in shaping how teens were portrayed on screen during this period, with Sixteen Candles being his directorial debut. The film also starred Molly Ringwald, who became the "it" girl of the '80s, leading countless films with her endearing charm.
Although Viggo Mortensen did not star in Sixteen Candles, the film almost looked very different as he was initially considered for the role of Jake Ryan, the male lead and Sam's love interest. At the time, Mortensen was a struggling and unknown actor, and his audition for Sixteen Candles was one of his first. While he impressed the film's star, Molly Ringwald, who felt weak in the knees around him, the casting director Jackie Burch felt that Mortensen's quiet and shy demeanour didn't suit the character of Jake, who was a popular jock. Ultimately, the role went to Michael Schoeffling, whose quiet sweetness was deemed a better fit.
Despite not being cast in Sixteen Candles, Viggo Mortensen went on to have a successful career, starring in films such as G.I. Jane, Green Book, and most notably, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, where he played Aragorn.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Viggo Mortensen did not appear in Sixteen Candles. He auditioned for the role of Jake Ryan, but the role went to Michael Schoeffling.
The casting director, Jackie Burch, felt that Mortensen was too quiet and shy for the role of Jake Ryan, a popular jock. She also noticed his accent and thought it wouldn't translate well to the character.
Yes, in a 2011 interview with Access Hollywood, Ringwald revealed that she really wanted Mortensen to be cast as Jake Ryan. She said, "He made me weak in the knees. He really did."
