Why Jack Nicholson Refused To Be Hades In Disney's Hercules

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There are some Disney characters that can't have any other voice but the ones we've always heard them as. No one would suit Woody but the frantic, flailing tones of Tom Hanks just like no one could warm our hearts singing "Beauty and the Beast" like Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts. (Apologies, Emma Thompson.) But in the case of James Woods as Hades, the Lord of the Underworld in "Hercules," the idea of him being brought to life by Jack Nicholson would've made for an interesting and (admit it) potentially better alternative. Disney just didn't have the dollar for it.

According to The Laughing Place, Jack Nicholson was approached by Disney to be a part of the demi-god's story following the suggestion of Danny DeVito. Directors Ron Clements and John Musker had a meeting with DeVito for the role of Philoctetes, the trainer of heroes and best bud to Hercules (Roger Bart). While DeVito wasn't initially interested in the role, his suggestion for Hades fit the bill, leading Nicholson to visit the House of Mouse and talk business, even bringing his daughter in a Snow White costume along for the trip. At the time, the Oscar winner was all in on the gig, but it was the price tag for joining the next big Disney movie that couldn't be settled on. The initial offer for the role of Hades was $500,000, but as far as Nicholson was concerned, they were just getting warmed up.

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Understandably, when you get to be as big as Jack Nicholson, it's no surprise that there's a higher asking price than most to join a project. Unfortunately, even for Disney, the star's demand was too great for "Hercules." Nicholson wanted somewhere in the range of $10-$15 million for the role of Hades, along with 50% for any bit of merchandise that had the hot-headed villain stamped on it. A counter offer was given that was unfortunately not to Nicholson's standards, leaving the actor to pass on the role which eventually went to James Woods.

Jack Nicholson applying some clever add-ons for big movies wasn't anything new at that point. It's a shame, really: In another timeline, there's a high chance that "Hercules" could've been met with a much grander reception with Nicholson's name on the poster. It may well have replicated the same level of success as when Robin Williams burst from the lamp as Genie in "Aladdin" (Williams even does an impression of Jack in the movie). In the end, while "Hercules" might be a flawed film, time has been kind to it over the years. It's just outside the top 20 on our list of Disney's best animated movies ever, which explains why a live-action remake of "Hercules" has been in works for some time. But when it came to negotiating with Jack Nicholson, the studio just couldn't go the distance.