Interesting Tidbits Surrounding Oscar Contender 'A Single Man'

Who's that mad man on the phone?

By: Brad Brevet
Published: Thursday, December 10th 2009 at 2:26 AM

Matthew Goode and Colin Firth in A Single Man
Photo: The Weinstein Co.

There is plenty to talk about when it comes to Tom Ford's A Single Man such as the performances delivered by Colin Firth, Julianne Moore and even the brief moments offered by Matthew Goode. The film itself is a potential Best Picture nominee and so on and so on. However, a couple of behind the scenes tidbits are actually quite fascinating in the world of "What Could Have Been" and "What Was." I will give a minor warning and say some may consider what follows to be spoilerish.

First off, in an interview with Ford posted at The Huffington Post we learn the voice on the other end of the line when Colin Firth's character learns his partner (Goode) has died in a car crash was none other than "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm.

"I was sitting next to this person at a dinner party," Ford told Huffington's Katy Hall. "I know him and I said, 'I'm shooting something tomorrow and your voice is perfect–would you come in and do it?' And his agent ripped me apart like you can't imagine. He can't be credited, whatever, so I don't know who that was on the phone."

You can watch a bootlegged version of the clip right here, but I would recommend just keeping an eye out for this film as it hits theaters in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco this Friday and then expands on December 25.

Moving along, The Playlist has done a nice bit of summation using a variety of sources and learned Jamie Bell was originally set to play the role later occupied by Nicholas Hoult using an interview at Collider and an early casting announcement at New York Magazine.

Ford makes no mention of Bell, telling Collider.com, "He didn't show up the first day that he was due and he's a well known actor. I'm not going to say his name. He was attached for six months and we'd made his costumes. Yes." He continued adding, "But again it was so lucky and I cannot imagine anyone else in that role but Nicholas Hoult. I had seen Nicholas's tape a few weeks earlier and similar to running into Colin at that premiere in London I was kind of thinking to myself, I had a sick feeling inside that this guy was perfect for it and that I was working with another actor. It just came together."

There were also rumors that Firth also came on after another unnamed and truly unknown actor dropped out, though Ford says Firth was his first choice.

I will have a review of A Single Man online tomorrow, but for now you can get more on the film including 23 new images right here.