BeforeArnold Schwarzenegger , O.J. Simpson was very near cast inThe Terminator , and the reason why he was n’t will get many to do a threefold take . Simpson was a great football player , there ’s no genuine disputing that fact . He won the Heisman Trophy in college , then played for 11 seasons inthe NFL , setting all time records , and eventually being inducted into both the college and professional football game Granville Stanley Hall of fames . Of course , when mass think of Simpson now , it ’s rarely his football game career that comes to mind .

In 1994 , Simpson was arrested and charged with the murder of both his married woman , Nicole Brown Simpson , and her fanatic Ron Goldman . Their slaying were roughshod , with both being stabbed to death . The result test became one of the most famous in American chronicle , with wall to wall TV reporting of every hearing , small-arm of testimonial , and ontogeny . More than a year afterwards , Simpson was acquitted by a panel of the slaying , but public opinion was very much against him , and today most people survey think he committed the crimes .

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Robert Downey Jr. revealing himself to be Doctor Doom at SDCC

Before the alleged murders , and after retire from football game , Simpson adjudicate his mitt at pretend , most notably playing the always injured Nordberg in theNaked Guntrilogy . In 1984 , Simpson number very close to being cast inThe Terminator ’s claim purpose , and in hindsight , the grounds behind him at long last not getting the part is both disturbing and darkly comedic .

The Disturbing Reason OJ Simpson Didn’t Play The Terminator

To get the obvious out of the direction , O.J. Simpson is a very , very different onscreen performer than Arnold Schwarzenegger , and his mien in the villain role would ’ve changedThe Terminatorin many way . Interestingly , the only reason Simpson came up in the conversation at all was due to distributor Orion Pictures initially suggest Schwarzenegger for the part of Kyle Reese . James Cameronwasn’t sold on the mind , positing that the T-800 would need to be as big or bigger than Arnold to believably match him as an antagonist . To accomplish that , the studio apartment paint a picture Simpson , a rather large human being in his own right . Cameron jib at that pick , and end up offering Schwarzenegger the T-800 role after meeting with him in someone and being impressed .

That ’s where the distressing / hilarious part of the equality kick in . Cameron object to Simpson ’s cast because he felt the ex - football player was " too overnice , " and would n’t be believable as a drink down machine like the T-800 . It ’s a determination that seems ludicrous in hindsight , now that Simpson is intimately known for the vicious murders most people consider he practice . Through an early-1980s lens though , Cameron ’s assessment seems fairly logical . After all , Simpson did n’t cease up in theNaked Gunmovies by accident , he had a electropositive reputation at the clock time . Still , one wonders what go on in whatever alternate world sawO.J. SimpsonasThe Terminatoractually occur .

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Daniel Craig as James Bond looking at something in No Time to Die

still from They were expendable

The Terminator with OJ Simpson

OJ Simpson in The Naked Gun close up

Terminator