Even The Spider Had To Audition For 2002's Spider-Man
Director Sam Raimi's revolutionary Marvel Comics adaptation "Spider-Man" from 2002 has gone down in film history for many reasons. One of the most notable is the work of the film's cast, with talents like Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and Willem Dafoe — Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, and Norman Osborn, respectively — turning in unforgettable performances. Meanwhile, one of the unsung actors among them is the spider (yes, that is a real spider) that bites Peter on the hand during his school trip, thus turning him into the web-slinging hero known as Spider-Man.
As if it's not wild enough to learn that the spider that gives Peter his powers in the movie is a real spider, it turns out that arachnid had to audition for the role. During a 2002 interview with National Geographic, entomologist Steven Kutcher and prop master Robin Miller recalled what's described as the "spider Olympics" they held to determine which spider should land the spot in the movie. Eventually, Raimi selected a Steatoda grossa, also known as a false widow, though this variety of spider is brown in color. The makeup department spruced it up with some red and blue paint, as seen in the movie, and with that, it was ready for its big scene.
The spider chosen to appear in "Spider-Man" didn't have an easy road to making it in the film, which it had in common with one of the production's biggest stars.
Tobey Maguire didn't have it easy with his audition either
Even though it only appeared on screen for a small fraction of the movie, the spider that bites Peter Parker in "Spider-Man" clearly went through the wringer to land the part. For its human co-star and the person it worked with during the big scene, Tobey Maguire, earning the role of Spider-Man was no walk in the park. All these years later, it's impossible not to think of the webhead when thinking of Maguire, but as "Spider-Man" was coming together, Sony Pictures higher-ups reportedly weren't too keen on the young actor.
"The studio wasn't sold on me immediately," Maguire shared during a 2002 appearance on "The Howard Stern Show." In response, Maguire and Sam Raimi went out and shot footage to prove to the studio that they had their Spider-Man right in front of them. They put together a more formal audition, and while it was strong, Sony wanted to see Maguire take on an action scene. Once again, Maguire and Raimi got to work, coming up with an action sequence that displayed Maguire's ability to handle such scenes and his impressive physique. At long last, Sony approved of Maguire's casting.
Evidently, regardless of whether you're a human or an arachnid, scoring a spot in a "Spider-Man" movie is no easy feat.