two questions, and apologies because this has probably been asked before in one way or another

1/ lets go back 20 something years to where they were making the MacGyver casting (bear with me). Now imagine RDA didnt attend because had a better offer (not possible but... lets assume) or was playing ice hockey professionally, or whatever. Who would you've cast back in those days to play MacGyver?

2/ who could play nowadays a modern MacGyver?

Your second questions has/is being discussed in regards to the upcoming MacGyver movie, so you can jump into that thread to save having multiple version of the same discussion running.

As for the first question... that's a tough one because changing the actor will always change the result, espicially in a show like MacGyver where the actor was allowed to have so much input into the charatcer.

So based on that are you asking who do we think could have played the role and achieved the same result as RDA? (a clone) or who could have played the role and still made the show good even if they brought different results to the end product? (if you get what I mean)


Actually I just had a thought that could be an answer for both scenarios... Scott Bakula

I don't know who else could've played Mac in the 80's if RDA didn't show up. And I don't know many other tv-actors of that time who could've done it.

Bakula is an excellent choice!

It is my humble opinion that no one else could have pulled off MacGyver as we know him. Rick IS MacGyver.

As I've said in my vlog, If RDA hadn't been picked for MacGyver we wouldn't be talking about him today. It would have just been another gimmic show that wouldn't have lasted into the 90's let alone become a beloved houshold name and legend.

I completely agree with you, MJ. RDA brought charm and dimension to the role, and made the concept into an endearing and enduring character. Without his performance and interpretation, the show would have died as soon as the gimmick lost the first gee-whiz freshness -- probably about six or eight episodes into the first season.

NO-ONE else, definitely!

RDA no matter how long it takes, i'd like to see him again in action. No one else.

Come to think of it, I think maybe Denis Leary or Kevin Bacon could've done it. My choice would be Denis Leary.

Kevin Bacon could have done it I think, but not Denis Leary. *shivers*

I wouldn't know though. The reason of my choice is that RDA and Denis Leary has one thing in common: hockey. And Denis Leary has that Mac-hairstyle.

Of course maybe during the casting or the setup of the show, they probably hadn't figured out which sports Mac would do. I think the first time we saw Mac play hockey was in The Eraser.

we see him playing the table hockey game against his land lady right back in the first season - Flames End.

Harrison Ford could have done it. Not that he would.

Nah... not unless Tom Selleck got the role of Indiana Jones, but than maybe Magnum would've never existed the way we know.

Yeah, I know Harrison Ford would NOT have done it, I just meant that he COULD have done it, especially the Season 1 version of Mac. I could totally see Harrison Ford in the opening gambit of "The Gauntlet", for example. Or "The Thief Of Budapest." I think the later seasons, though, would have felt very different with Ford.

I think it would of been someone who was new and up and comeing, someone no one would ever thought of being MacGyver.

maybe mark hamell?

Who?

For nowadays my choice still would be Josh Holloway.

And back than maybe late Patrick Swayze would've also been a good choice but if that happened he'd never been Orry Main. (And late David Carradine as Murdoc. )

modern Macgyvers Leonardo DiCaprio, Ewan Mcgreger, Hayden Christensen.

Hmm?