"What's The Matter With Him": How Steven Spielberg Recommendation Got Brendan Fraser Recast In 1995 Animated Movie

Summary Steven Spielberg's desire for efficiency led to Jim Cummings' casting as Steele in Balto.

Cummings' villain role was originally supposed to go to then-rising actor Brendan Fraser.

Opting against a notable on-camera actor, Spielberg chose to cast a seasoned voice actor.

Actor Jim Cummings explains how Steven Spielberg managed to get him recast in the movie Balto. Balto is a hand-drawn, 2D animated animal adventure film about a Husky whose life is put in peril when he is tasked to try to prevent a deadly epidemic from spreading. Balto was directed by Simon Wells and features a leading voice cast including Kevin Bacon, Bob Hoskins, Bridget Fonda, Cummings, Phil Collins, Jack Angel, Danny Mann, and Robbie Rist. The film was produced by Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment.

Speaking on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, Cummings recounts how Spielberg assisted his casting in Balto.

Cummings explained that the Balto team had originally been looking at "a couple of name-brand actors" who were known for their on-camera work, before he was cast in the role. Then, Spielberg decided to pivot, suggesting "let's get this Cummings guy." This was related to Spielberg's desire for efficiency, as he "want[ed] to get all of it done in one day." This ultimately led to Cummings' casting in the role of Steele. Check out the full quote from Cummings below:

There was a movie Balto that came out, and Kevin Bacon was Balto, Bridget Fonda was the girlfriend, and I ended up being the bad guy, Steele. And they had gone through a couple of name brand actors, you know, on camera actors. You know, one of the — this happened to me on Princes and the Frog too, this happened to me a couple times — they tried this guy and that guy, and I won't even get their names out there. But finally, I guess, let's get this Cummings guy, what's the matter with him? Because he wanted to get all of it done in one day. He was making Schindler's list at the same time.

The Balto Casting Switchup Explained

Brendan Fraser Was Originally Selected For Steele

Though Cummings does not mention him by name here, it was previously known that the enemy role of Steele was originally supposed to be portrayed by actor Brendan Fraser. At the time, Fraser was a rising star known for films such as School Ties, With Honors, and The Scout. This would have given the actor name recognition as he had some traction for his on-camera roles, but Fraser was not experienced with voice acting prior to Balto.

Cummings, on the other hand, was already a prolific voice actor by the time Balto's casting began. He had been working in the industry since the late '70s, providing his voice acting talents to projects such as Winnie-the-Pooh, Scooby-Doo, and The Transformers TV series. As Cummings retells, it is this deep catalog that aided his casting in Balto. If Spielberg wanted to get the project all recorded in one day, he would need a team of actors that could provide applicable experience beyond merely name recognition.

Spielberg's casting choice shows a reverence for voice actors that is sometimes lacking today. There are certainly some on-camera actors that have honed their voice acting skills, such as Mark Hamill. But as in the case of Chris Pratt's controversial casting in both The Garfield Movie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, too often do current films select big-name actors over those with legitimate experience in voice acting. Balto set a precedent for how animated films should ideally be cast, though said standard is not always followed today.

Source: Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum / YouTube