Editing 12 Monkeys (section)

=== Casting ===
Gilliam's initial casting choices were [[Nick Nolte]] as James Cole and [[Jeff Bridges]] as Jeffrey Goines, but Universal objected.<ref name="first" /> Other actors were suggested for the roles included [[Nicolas Cage]] and [[Tom Cruise]], but Gilliam rejected the choices.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/12-monkeys-oral-history | title=The oral history of 12 Monkeys, Terry Gilliam's time travel masterpiece | date=20 February 2024 }}</ref> Gilliam, who first met Bruce Willis while casting Jeff Bridges' role in ''[[The Fisher King (film)|The Fisher King]]'' (1991), believed Willis evoked Cole's characterization as being "somebody who is strong and dangerous but also vulnerable".<ref name="note" /> Gilliam later stated that he wasn't originally interested in casting Willis because of the actor's mouth.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/12-monkeys-oral-history | title=The oral history of 12 Monkeys, Terry Gilliam's time travel masterpiece | date=20 February 2024 }}</ref>

Gilliam cast [[Madeleine Stowe]] as Dr. Kathryn Railly because he was impressed by her performance in ''[[Blink (1993 film)|Blink]]'' (1994).<ref name="note" /> The director first met Stowe when he was casting his abandoned film adaptation of ''[[A Tale of Two Cities]]''.<ref name="first" /> "She has this incredible ethereal beauty and she's incredibly intelligent", Gilliam said of Stowe. "Those two things rest very easily with her, and the film needed those elements because it has to be romantic."<ref name="note" />

Gilliam originally believed that Pitt was not right for the role of Jeffrey Goines, but the casting director convinced him otherwise.<ref name="first" /> Pitt was cast for a comparatively small salary, as he was still relatively unknown at the time. By the time of ''12 Monkeys''{{'}} release, ''[[Interview with the Vampire (film)|Interview with the Vampire]]'' (1994), ''[[Legends of the Fall]]'' (1994), and ''[[Seven (1995 film)|Se7en]]'' (1995) had been released, making Pitt an [[A-list]] actor, which drew greater attention to the film and boosted its box-office standing. In [[Philadelphia]], months before filming, Pitt spent weeks at [[Temple University]]'s hospital, visiting and studying the psychiatric ward to prepare for his role.<ref name="note" />