Ronny Cox had been stereotyped as playing generally nice characters and said this left the impression that he could not play more masculine roles. Verhoeven cast him as the villainous Dick Jones to play against type. Cox said that playing a villain was "about a gazillion times more fun than playing the good guys." Jones, he said, has absolutely no compassion, he is an "evil S.O.B.". Miguel Ferrer was unsure if the film would be successful, but he was desperate for work and would have taken any offer. The Old Man was based on MCA Inc. CEO Lew Wasserman, whom Neumiere considered to be a powerful and intimidating individual. Television host Bixby Snyder was written as an Americanized version of British comedian Benny Hill, but without any restraint.