When Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita officially went into production in early 1960, many young and up-and-coming actresses were considered or offered the title role, but turned it down for various reasons.
Hayley Mills, age 14, was one of the first actresses in discussion, but reportedly had to pass on the project because of her tight contract with Walt Disney Studios. Years later, Hayley revealed her parents also weren’t comfortable with their adolescent daughter being offered a prominent role in a movie involving serious subject matters like pedophilia and statutory rape. Hayley would be forced to turn down J. Lee Thompson’s Cape Fear in 1961 because of its mature content as well.
Joey Heatherton, age 15, also passed on Kubrick’s picture because her father [Broadway star Ray Heatherton] felt she had already played enough ‘sex kitten’ parts on screen, and worried the cinematic portrayal of Lolita would be another provocative characterization and typecasting for Joey.
Sandra Dee, age 18, was supposedly offered the female lead of Lolita, with her mother and manager, Mary Zuck, allegedly telling Kubrick and producer James Harris that she and Sandra would think about it—but never followed up on the offer.
Tuesday Weld, age 16, turned down the feature on her own accord, already into her reputation for passing on big, hyped studio pictures for smaller, modest projects with potential. Tuesday was also once famously quoted as saying, “I didn’t need to play Lolita—I already was her.”
Eventually, teen model Sue Lyon was cast and rocketed to stardom, yet never fully escaped the iconic character for a fully fledged career as a leading lady.
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