Geena Davis Says She Was Told She Wasn't 'Attractive Enough' to Lead Fletch

Geena Davis has revealed that she was once told she wasn't "attractive enough" to play the female lead in the 1985 comedy Fletch.

Speaking on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast, Davis recalled auditioning for the role of Gail Stanwyk before being told she didn't fit the part. "I'm pretty sure they said, 'You're not attractive enough to play that part,'" she said, adding that she was wearing her hair "all curly and weird" at the time.

Although she lost out on the lead role, the filmmakers praised her comedic talent and offered her a smaller part instead. The role, originally written as a male morgue chief named Larry, was rewritten for a woman—but Davis insisted the character keep the name Larry, a choice Shepard said made the role especially memorable.

Davis also dismissed longtime rumors about Chevy Chase being difficult on set, describing her Fletch co-star as "fun and funny and chill."

The actress went on to become one of Hollywood's leading stars with films including The Fly, Thelma & Louise, and A League of Their Own. She won an Academy Award for The Accidental Tourist and later founded the Geena Davis Institute, which advocates for equitable representation in media.