Producer David Lean wanted Brando for the role of "Lawrence", but he was already shooting Mutiny on the Bounty and the production schedule was extented many months and he had to refuse.

Master director David Lean originally intended handsome Bucholz to play "Sherif Ali," but the actor had to turn it down because of his commitment to director Billy Wilder for "One, Two, Three."

The handsome French icon tested to replace Horst Bucholz, but had trouble with the brown contact lenses required for the role.

Over the years, one of the film stars considered ideal to play the heroic, complex title character.

Finney was Lean's first choice but when Lean came to see him in a play he felt pressured and didn't perform. His understudy took the role that night...it was Peter O'Toole.

Over the many years it took to finally launch a film version of the exploits of the complex hero, Grant was often mentioned as ideal for the role.

One of the first stars considered to play the title character in a movie biography first attempted by producer Alexander Korda.

He so badly wanted the title role in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) that he personally pressed his case with director David Lean, but Lean cast Peter O'Toole in the part.

Told interviewers he lost the role because, in "Exodus," he had played a character who killed several Arabs.

Over the many years it took to launch a movie version, Olivier was one of the actors considered for the role of complex, heroic T. E. Lawrence.

After Horst Bucholz was unable to accept the role and Alain Delon was unable to tolerate the brown contact lenses the part required, director David Lean hired and fired the French star because of his thick accent and his appearance in Arab garb.