Face/Off Werb and Michael Colleary tried to sell to a studio from as early as 1990. The first actors who were chosen to play Sean Archer and Castor Troy were Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger respectively but John Woo instead hired John Travolta and Nicolas Cage to play those characters. It took numerous studios, producers and rewrites before John Woo became attached several years later. For the Archer character, Woo considered casting either Michael Douglas or Jean-Claude Van Damme with whom he had worked in "Hard Target". When the film was eventually made, Douglas served as an executive producer. Werb and
Ellen Travolta Ellen Travolta Ellen M. Travolta (born October 6, 1939) is an American actress. Ellen M. Travolta was born on October 6, 1939 in Englewood, New Jersey to Salvatore ("Sam") Travolta (1913-1995) and Helen Cecilia (née Burke) Travolta (1912-1978). Her father was a semi-professional football player before becoming a tire salesman and a partner in a Firestone franchise called Travolta Tires. Helen Travolta was an actress and singer who appeared with "The Sunshine Sisters", a radio vocal group. She later became a drama coach, actress, and director of student productions. Travolta has five younger siblings: Joey, Margaret, Sam, and John Travolta.