 Argento reportedly offered the lead role of Peter Neal to Christopher Walken , but it eventually went to Anthony Franciosa . Kim Newman felt that Franciosa 's casting was fortunate , as he was capable of bringing more to the role than the script asked of him . He also believed that if Walken had been cast , it would have been more obvious that he was the killer . According to Jones and Daria Nicolodi , the relationship between Franciosa and Argento was a fractious one . In addition , Nicolodi and Argento were romantically involved at the time , but their relationship had suffered over a disputed story credit during filming of Suspiria . Nicolodi therefore only agreed to a cameo in Tenebrae . According to Nicolodi , she originally asked for the small role of Jane McKerrow ( which eventually went to Veronica Lario ) . Alan Jones says that Nicolodi was cast as the woman on the beach in Neal 's flashback . However , Thomas Rostock says that Nicolodi was never intended for that role , only that of Jane . Transgender actress Eva Robin 's was later hired to play the woman on the beach . 
