 Before Billy Crudup was cast as Fielding Pierce, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and Kevin Spacey were also considered.Brooke Shields was originally cast as Sarah Williams, but ultimately turned the role down due to the erotic nature of the film.Jessica Alba, Christina Applegate, Drew Barrymore, Neve Campbell, Cameron Diaz, Brittany Murphy, Christina Ricci, Winona Ryder, Tori Spelling, Britney Spears, Hilary Swank and Liv Tyler auditioned for the lead role, but they lost out to Jennifer Connelly.