Michael Douglas says he ‘didn’t know’ his Oscar- winning role in ‘Wall Street’ was first offered to other actors

LOS ANGELES: Michael Douglas recently admitted that one of the most iconic roles of his career almost didn’t come to him at all. The actor, who won an Oscar for playing ‘Gordon Gekko’ in Wall Street, revealed that he only learned years later that two big Hollywood stars were offered the role before him.

According to People magazine, while speaking at a film event in New York, Douglas expressed his surprise at learning that he wasn’t the first choice for the role. He shared with the audience that the role was first offered to Warren Beatty, then to Richard Gere, before it finally reached him. He admitted he had no idea about this at the time and had always believed he was the first choice.

“I must say, we were talking just before, while doing a little preparation for this, since I haven’t seen the movie fully in about 40 years… but I saw an article recently that said that Oliver first went to Warren Beatty, who passed on it, then to Richard Gere, who also passed”, Douglas told Alicia Malone at the TCM Classic Film Festival New York Pop-up x 92NY event on January 31, as reported by People.

“I didn’t know any of that because you always like to think you were the one”, he added.

“Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.”
Wall Street (1987)

The definitive anthem of the 80s. Michael Douglas created the ultimate corporate shark in Gordon Gekko, proving that sometimes the villain is the most influential person in the room.pic.twitter.com/VHbWuX2XEc

— MovieSociety (@MovieSocietyX) February 3, 2026

Douglas also discussed how seriously he approached the role from the very beginning, noting that the script felt like “serious work” and something that required his full commitment. “I was really happy and excited to bring my heart into it,” he said. “You don’t get many good parts in your life.”

The actor also shared why director Oliver Stone may have ultimately chosen him for the role. Douglas explained that his background helped him relate to the world of Wall Street better than most actors.

“I guess when Oliver was asked, he was looking for an actor who had some business acumen. Because I was also a producer, and because I grew up in New York City, went to Allen Stevenson School, and later attended prep schools”, he explained.

“So I had a familiarity with the East Coast and that kind of lifestyle. I also had friends from early school who were involved in Wall Street, so while I wasn’t closely familiar with it, I understood the lifestyle. I guess that’s why he chose me,” the actor shared.

Although others were first in line for the role, Douglas went on to make Gordon Gekko one of the most memorable characters in film history. His performance in Wall Street earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1987. (ANI)