What happens if a wealthy, successful person suddenly becomes a pauper and a poor person turns into a millionaire? Something similar was once written in the novel "The Prince and the Pauper" by American writer Mark Twain. The heroes of the book benefited from such an exchange. In 1982, Twain's compatriot - Timothy Harris - wrote a script that vaguely resembles the plot of a famous work. True, the heroes of this story are by no means youths, but people are quite mature. According to Harris's script, director John Landis made the film Swap. Actors on the role of the main characters invited famous. They will be discussed in this article.
Plot of the film
The black-skinned tramp named Billy Ray Valentine is the main character in the comedy "Swap places." The actor who played it is on the short list of the greatest stand-up comedians compiled by Comedy Central.
One day, Billy accidentally ran into the street with the head of a large, prosperous company, Louis Winthorpe. This meeting would not end with anything and would not affect the fate of completely different people. However, the owners of the company (Mortimer and Randolph Duke), which was managed by Louis, made a bet on that day. One of the brothers claimed that anyone could run the company. Even a tramp without education and experience. The other categorically did not agree with this point of view. In order to refute the opinion of the first, Louis brought to the office a scumbag Billy. Then no one knew that such an adventurous enterprise could end tragically. This is the plot of the film "Swap."
Actors and roles
Eddie Mary played the main character. Dan Aykroyd played the role of a rich man who found himself on a social day. Don Amici and Ralph Bellamy played the Duke brothers in the comedy Swap. Actor Denholm Elliott played the role of Coleman butler. Jamie Lee Curtis appeared in the image of Ophelia - a prostitute who sheltered Louis in the days when he lost everything: money, social status, and the bride. An actor James Belushi took part in the filming of the film "Swap".
Eddie Murphy
The famous comedian played several roles in the movie before he was invited to star in the movie "Swap." The actor became famous after the film “Forty-eight hours”. She was released a year before the premiere of the Landis movie.
Eddie Murphy was born in 1961. In his childhood there were few joyful moments. Father died when he was a child. Mother was seriously ill. And so, Eddie, along with his brother, was in the care of his adoptive parents for several years. However, he never lost heart. The comedian's talent in him woke up quite early. Thanks to his artistic abilities, Edie always enjoyed the attention and respect of others.
Mary began his career with performances in the stand-up genre. Then he actively participated in television shows. Murphy devoted his speeches, as a rule, to acute social problems. At the same time, he often allowed himself sharp remarks about representatives of a particular social or ethnic group. After one of these speeches, he even had to apologize publicly.
The film debut of the artist took place in 1980. Eddie Murphy has played in such films as Golden Child, A Trip to America, Harlem Nights, Boomerang. For his role in the film "Girl of Dreams," the actor was nominated for an Oscar. Murphy's voice is spoken by many cartoon characters, including the Shrek Donkey.
Dan Aykroyd
The actor was born in 1952. wrote several scripts for television shows. Aykroyd's film career began in 1974. For the role in the comedy "Swap", the actor was not awarded any awards. But in his filmography, in addition to this role, there are many interesting film images. As a rule, these are secondary characters, but very vivid and memorable. For one of these roles, Dan Aykroyd was nominated for an Oscar. The actor played in the films "Brothers" "Blues", "Twilight Zone", "At Night", "My Daughter", "Evolution".
Jamie Lee Curtis
The famous actress was born in 1958 in an artistic family. She studied at the University of the Pacific, but not for long. After the first semester, Jamie decided to devote herself to the movie. And, unlike most of her colleagues, she was successful already at the initial stage of her career. She became famous for her roles in horror films such as Halloween, Train of Fear, Fog, School Ball. Today, Jamie Lee Curtis is better known as an actress in the comedy genre. She played in the films True Truth, Freaky Friday, Nicholas's Gift, and many others. Jamie Lee Curtis is the winner of prestigious awards. Twice she received the Golden Globe Award. In 1984 she was awarded the BAFTA Award.