Q 01/05

Who directed The Silence of the Lambs?

A) Ridley Scott

B) David Fincher

C) Jonathan Demme

D) Michael Mann

Answer · why

C) Jonathan Demme

He had just made Married to the Mob and went on to make Philadelphia; he won the Silver Bear for it in Berlin.

Q 02/05

Who plays FBI trainee Clarice Starling?

A) Michelle Pfeiffer

B) Julianne Moore

C) Meg Ryan

D) Jodie Foster

Answer · why

D) Jodie Foster

Pfeiffer and Ryan both turned the part down; Foster won her second Best Actress Oscar for it.

Q 03/05

Which actor did Demme first approach to play Hannibal Lecter before Anthony Hopkins?

A) Robert De Niro

B) Al Pacino

C) Sean Connery

D) Jeremy Irons

Answer · why

C) Sean Connery

Hopkins was then offered it on the strength of The Elephant Man and thought the title sounded like a children's story.

Q 04/05

Who was Demme's first choice for Clarice Starling?

A) Laura Dern (Wild at Heart)

B) Meg Ryan (Sleepless)

C) Molly Ringwald (Pretty in Pink)

D) Michelle Pfeiffer

Answer · why

D) Michelle Pfeiffer

They had just made Married to the Mob together; she said she 'got nervous about the subject matter'.

Q 05/05

What did Hopkins reportedly ask his agent when told a script called The Silence of the Lambs was coming?

A) 'Is it a musical?'

B) 'Is it a comedy?'

C) 'Is it a children's story?'

D) 'Is it about farming?'

Answer · why

C) 'Is it a children's story?'

Ten pages in he rang back to say it was the best part he had ever read.