I agree with Vance. There are some great actors in this film. I don't think Ridley wanted an actor in it that would be bigger than the film. He has always used up and coming actors; Sigourney Weaver in Alien(1979, Harrison Ford in Bladerunner (1982), Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis in Thelma and Louise (1991),Russell Crow in Gladiator(2000), etc. All of them became huge after they were in Ridley Scott films. I think American Gangster is one of the only exceptions to that where he had Crowe and Denzel Washington star well after they had won their academy awards and become huge stars.