Don't forget, boys and girls, every one of those "favorite" lines said by John Wayne -- and other actors -- were written by a screenwriter. Actors don't just make up those lines as they go along.
L.W.
I know a lot of scripts are written and sold well prior to any casting but in some cases do writers know who will play the primary characters?
I'm sure even with no idea who will play the character writers have a voice inside their head don't they?
Pugs, it is very rare a writer knows who the actor is for a character before casting. But, an exception is when a writer has pitched a story to an actor who wants to buy it and play the lead, or if a producer likes a story created by the writer, he or the studio buy it, and the producer tells the writer that some star actor wants to do the part. Then the writer will try and tailor the dialogue for that actor, given he knows what that actor likes to do.
I always knew who the regulars were on a show but can't recall I knew whom were to be cast in the co-staring roles.
As for a writer running the voices or dialogue in his head, or verbally, yes, I always did that and other writers I knew did the same. Sometimes an actor will change a line or two or three as he doesn't like the way it sounds when he says the line as written in the script. Brando was infamous for that. He hated learning lines anyway so if he could not remember a line, he just made something up. Drove directors and script supervisors stark crazy.
Here's an example that happened with one of my scripts for an episode of
Gunsmoke. I was on set at CBS Studios to watch a particular scene being filmed as I wanted to know how the director set it up..They were filming the scene when Arness suddenly stopped. He turned to the director and said, "I don't like the way my line sounds."
The director said "Okay, Jim. Got an idea?"
Arness said, "Yeah, let's try it again."
So they began filming again and Arness said a
new line that he'd made up on the spot that kinda mirrored what I'd written but was different. Damned if it didn't sound better than my original line.
And on other shows and flicks, actors will sometimes do the same. Some times it will benefit a scene and other times it is a detriment. You never know. The movie racket is a strange business.
Hope that answered your question.
L.W.
