Timothée Chalamet almost called Oliver by a different name.
Screenwriter and producer James Ivory reveals in his new memoir, Solid Ivory, that the role of Oliver was nearly given to actor Shia LaBeouf instead of Armie Hammer.
In an excerpt published by GQ, Ivory recalls meeting with LaBeouf in New York City, where the Even Stevens actor did a reading with Timothée, who played Elio, Oliver’s lover.
“Luca [Guadagnino] and I had been blown away,” Ivory writes. “The reading by the two young actors had been sensational; they made a very convincing hot couple.”
However, Ivory claims that LaBeouf was “dropped” from contention after a run of “bad publicity.”
The screenwriter, who was originally supposed to direct the film, went on to say, “Luca cast Armie Hammer and never spoke to, or of, Shia again.”
Prior to considering LaBeouf, Ivory was “doubtful” the Transformers star could do Andre Aciman‘s character justice. As he put it, “He’s an extremely good actor. But as an academic writing about the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, he would be a stretch.”
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