 Sam Jaffe was cast as Simonides on April 3, 1958, primarily because he had become famous for his roles as a wise old patriarch in a number of films.Finlay Currie was cast as Balthasar the same day as Jaffe.Wyler had to persuade Jack Hawkins to appear in the film, because Hawkins was unwilling to act in another epic motion picture so soon after "The Bridge on the River Kwai".