Crawford Never in Frame for Phantom Film???

On the subject of casting myths and misconceptions, Phantom fans waged a high-profile campaign in support of Michael Crawford when, as some reports suggested, the man who created the title role on stage was turned down for the film version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. However speaking at today’s press event for The Woman in White (See Today's News), which reunites Crawford and Lloyd Webber for the first time since Phantom, premiered 18 years ago, Lloyd Webber said the truth was that Crawford was “never even on the radar” for the film, now slated for a December 2004 release. The movie’s director, Joel Schumacher, “would only do it with a young cast” and “with the best will in the world” that did not include the now 62-year-old Crawford. The title role went instead to 34-year-old Glaswegian Gerald Butler. Crawford also spoke today about how his age affects his career: “You reach a point in your life when you can’t be accepted four what you used to be anymore, so you have to adapt... Now, I’m a mature man. The next thing is death I guess!”

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