When Richard Dreyfuss declined the role in When Harry Met Sally, he referred to it as "not a great script."

      When Harry Met Sally is considered one of the top romantic comedies of all time, and director Rob Reiner revealed this past weekend that Richard Dreyfuss could have taken the role originally given to Billy Crystal.

      Reiner spoke about the film indirectly at the 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival, where he celebrated the 35th anniversary of Misery alongside the film's star, Kathy Bates, who earned an Oscar for her role as the obsessed romance novel fan Annie Wilkes.

      In response to a question about the various actors who were considered for the male lead in Misery — the character of author Paul Sheldon, ultimately portrayed by James Caan — Reiner highlighted that Dreyfuss, known for Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, was one of them.

      He explained that he had approached Dreyfuss for the lead in When Harry Met Sally before directing Misery in 1990, but Dreyfuss declined the opportunity for what appears to be a surprisingly unexpected reason.

      “We met briefly, and he said, ‘You’ve got a great director, but not a great script.’ I thought, Wow, Nora Ephron was an excellent screenwriter,” Reiner reminisced.

      Academy voters agreed: Ephron’s script for When Harry Met Sally received an Oscar nomination. The film was widely embraced by audiences, becoming a significant success and greatly enhancing the careers of both Harry (Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan).

      “Then, When Harry Met Sally becomes a massive hit, and I called him about this,” Reiner recalled about Misery. “He replied, ‘I’ll do it, whatever it is.’ But subsequently, he turned it down.”

      Dreyfuss' loss became another actor's opportunity: Misery was also a tremendous success.

      In addition to Richard Dreyfuss, Reiner talked about other actors he considered for the role in Misery, including Robert Redford, William Hurt, and Warren Beatty.

      Reiner noted that Beatty was so interested in Misery that they had several meetings to discuss the script after William Goldman submitted his version of the Stephen King adaptation. Beatty proposed a compelling interpretation in which Annie holds Paul captive and compels him to write her a new book.

      “He said, ‘This is not a horror movie. This is not a thriller. This is a prison movie. That’s how you need to approach it. … This man is imprisoned, and he has to be as clever as you guys in trying to find a way out of jail,’” Reiner recounted.

      During the Misery panel, Reiner also shared that he realized Bates was perfect for the role as soon as she began auditioning, and they debated whether Annie should cut off Paul’s feet or just hobble him — as done in the film.

      “I was devastated that you removed that,” Bates told Reiner regarding his choice to lessen the film's violence by allowing Paul to keep his feet.

      The TCM Classic Film Festival was a treasure trove of fascinating film history for classic movie enthusiasts. Among other highlights, George Lucas explained at a 45th anniversary screening of The Empire Strikes Back why the 900-year-old Jedi master Yoda speaks in his unique manner.

      Meanwhile, When Harry Met Sally continues to resonate; it was even revived this past year in a Super Bowl advertisement, featuring Crystal and Ryan revisiting the film’s most iconic scene, the deli moment where Ryan’s Sally publicly demonstrates how easily one can fake sexual satisfaction.

      Main image: When Harry Met Sally. Columbia Pictures.