The producers wanted Kevin Spacey to be billed first in the opening credits, but Spacey insisted that his name not appear in the opening credits in order to keep the killer's identity a surprise for the audience. To compensate, he was listed twice in the closing credits: once before the credits began, and once in the order of appearance within the credits roll. From Spacey's point of view, another advantage was being exempted from marketing activities during the film's theatrical run, which meant he did not have to attend any public events or give interviews.
David Fincher told Kevin Spacey and Brad Pitt, "This won't be the film you're remembered for, but it could be one you're incredibly proud of."
Brad Pitt bought his own ties for the film. He wanted Mills to have bad taste in clothing.
Kevin Spacey arrived on set with a short military haircut, having just finished 'Outbreak' (1995). Before filming began, he discussed with director David Fincher how his character should look and suggested shaving his head completely. Once Fincher was convinced Spacey wasn't joking, he told him, "If you do it, I'll do it," and both remained bald for the rest of the film.
Denzel Washington turned down the role of Mills, which went to Brad Pitt, telling Entertainment Weekly that the film was too "dark and evil." After seeing the film, Washington regretted his decision.
David Fincher thought Morgan Freeman would turn down the role because he believed Freeman would feel the film was "beneath" him. However, Freeman was the first person to eagerly join the cast.
Brad Pitt considers this film one of the most flawless films he has made.
David Fincher said he wanted someone incredibly thin, around 90 pounds, for the role of Victor. Michael Reid MacKay weighed 96 pounds when he came to the audition. Fincher gave him the role and jokingly told him to lose a little more weight. Surprisingly, MacKay had lost another six pounds by the time filming began.
(Around the 45th minute) Morgan Freeman's son, Alfonso Freeman, appears as a fingerprint technician.
David Fincher had been impressed by Gwyneth Paltrow's performance in 'Flesh and Bone' (1993). She was his first choice for the role of Brad Pitt's wife. Paltrow was initially uninterested, so Fincher asked her then-boyfriend Brad Pitt to persuade her to meet with him.
Brad Pitt said Gwyneth Paltrow's character was "our only ray of sunshine in the film."
Brad Pitt said one of his reasons for taking the role was to "escape cheesy roles" after 'Legends of the Fall' (1994).
Kevin Spacey was brought into the cast two days before filming began.
Praising Kevin Spacey's performance, Brad Pitt said, "He has more control over this than I do."
(Around 1 hour 55 minutes) In the film's most dramatic scene, the courier who delivers the box at the very end is the actor Richmond Arquette. He is the brother of well-known actors such as Rosanna Arquette, Patricia Arquette and David Arquette.
According to David Fincher, Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman were perfect at the first reading of the script.
Before Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt were cast, Al Pacino was the first choice for Somerset and Denzel Washington for Mills. Pacino turned it down because his schedule was full for 'City Hall' (1996); Washington declined the offer, finding the film "too dark." Both actors expressed regret at not accepting their individual offers.
Val Kilmer turned down the role of John Doe.
R. Lee Ermey initially auditioned for the role of John Doe. After the role was given to Kevin Spacey, Ermey was offered the role of the police captain and accepted.
In the film's audio commentary, David Fincher states that he heard Kevin Spacey was called in at the last minute for the role of John Doe because the person originally cast had been fired. Fincher and Brad Pitt remember it differently: according to them, they liked Spacey's audition very much, Pitt in particular was very impressed, and they fought for Spacey to get the role. Fincher recalls that the production company claimed it could not cover the fee Spacey wanted, but Pitt's insistence convinced the studio to cover the costs.
Sylvester Stallone turned down the role of Mills. He told 'Ain't It Cool News' that it was a mistake.
Brad Pitt did not take off his shirt in the film because 'Legends of the Fall' (1994) had made him a sex symbol. Nevertheless, he won the Most Desirable Male award at the MTV Movie Awards for this role.
(Around 1 hour 55 minutes) According to Morgan Freeman, he had never seen a head in a box before and had never witnessed someone's reaction to finding a head in a box. He is not entirely satisfied with Somerset's reaction when he opens the box.
Michael Stipe of R.E.M. was briefly considered for the role of John Doe.
All four of the film's main actors are Oscar winners: Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt. They all won their Oscars after 'Se7en' was released; Spacey won his first Oscar for 'The Usual Suspects' (1995), which was released the same year as 'Se7en,' and was competing against Pitt, who was nominated for '12 Monkeys' (1995).
In the commentary, Morgan Freeman talks about his days on 'The Electric Company' (1971). Up to that point, he had not stayed in jobs where he would remain in the same role for too long and stagnate. 'The Electric Company' was the first long-running job he had, and he recalls that in time he came to dislike it. Even so, he acknowledges that the program did good things for children, and he even notes that many children have told him the program taught them to read. "Nice," the actor says. "That's interesting. But did I teach you to understand what you read?"
Gene Hackman was offered the role of Somerset but turned it down because there were too many night shoots.
R. Lee Ermey auditioned for the role of John Doe. David Fincher recalls that the former Marine drill instructor made the serial killer character completely devoid of sympathy. "Kevin isn't more sympathetic," the director says. However, he felt that Ermey's approach to the character was "sharp and clear," leaving little room for gray areas. Instead, Ermey was cast as the police captain.
(around the 24th minute) In the commentary, Brad Pitt says Morgan Freeman is the "voice of God." Coincidentally, Morgan Freeman later played God in 'Bruce Almighty' (2003).
Brad Pitt turned down 'Apollo 13' (1995) to make this film.
Kevin Costner and Nicolas Cage were briefly considered for the role of David Mills.
According to Kevin Spacey, he was initially eliminated in auditions for the role of John Doe. Spacey said he received a frantic phone call from producer Arnold Kopelson two days before Christmas, begging him to return to Los Angeles and shoot the film, because the actor cast in the role had been fired due to creative differences with David Fincher. However, Fincher and Brad Pitt remember this quite differently; they state that they liked Spacey's audition and wanted him in the cast despite the studio's objection to his fee, and that the studio was persuaded by Pitt's insistence. The studio probably mediated between the two sides, telling each a different story.
Christina Applegate turned down the role of Tracy.
In 2017, Gwyneth Paltrow shared a photo on Instagram of herself in a Halloween costume with her head in a box.
Robert Duvall was offered the role of Somerset but turned it down.
At one point, Harrison Ford was considered for the role of Somerset.
(around the 17th minute) Officer Dutton, the policeman who keeps the press outside the 'Greed' murder scene, had a significant role in director David Fincher's previous film Alien³ (1992).
(around the 33rd minute) Somerset tells Mills and Tracy that his first name is William. William is Brad Pitt's real name.
(around the 1st minute) Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker appears as the first corpse.
In the commentary track, Morgan Freeman says the following about French: 'When I was learning French, I couldn't understand why they called a library bibliotheque and a bookstore library, but that's how they do it. Backward people. Hahaha, don't do that. I like the French.'
For the final moments between Mills and John Doe, Brad Pitt referenced Sean Penn's performance in At Close Range (1986). Pitt says, 'There was a complete change in him. There was something Penn did where from that moment on you understood what he was going to experience, that his life would never be the same again. It would never be the same.' Morgan Freeman recalls that the original ending was Somerset shooting John Doe. He liked that ending; the young detective would still have a life after the events of the film. Pitt's argument was that it was impossible for Mills not to shoot John Doe for what he had done. In short, if you're not sure who should get shot or who should do the shooting, ask Brad Pitt.
Leland Orser, who played a serial killer's victim, four years later played a policeman hunting a serial killer in Resurrection (1999), and a few months later played the killer in The Bone Collector (1999).
(around 1 hour 11 minutes) As John Doe runs through the building, he has a limp very similar to that of Verbal Kint in The Usual Suspects (1995). Kevin Spacey starred in both films, and he limped in both.
Andrew Kevin Walker had imagined William Hurt as Somerset. William Hurt later played a police detective in Dark City (1998).
(around the 46th minute) Jodie Foster's name is mentioned in the film in the context of the killers' obsessions. Foster later starred in David Fincher's Panic Room (2002).
Brad Pitt says the word 'oof' a total of five times in the film.
Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey appeared together in Outbreak (1995) the same year this film was released.
Morgan Freeman and Mark Boone Junior later appeared together in Batman Begins (2005).
David Fincher directed Alien³ (1992); Leland Orser appeared in Alien: Resurrection (1997).
John C. McGinley and R. Lee Ermey had appeared together a year earlier in Steven Seagal's action film On Deadly Ground (1994).
Cast members John Cassini, John C. McGinley and Mark Boone Junior appeared together in Get Carter (2000).
Christopher Guest was considered to play John Doe.
Robin Wright auditioned for the role of Tracy. The role went to Gwyneth Paltrow. Christopher Guest was considered to play John Doe.
Both David Fincher and Andrew Kevin Walker initially wanted Ned Beatty to play John Doe. Fincher explained, 'It was strangely based on the police sketch of the Zodiac Killer. A man with short hair and horn-rimmed glasses. That was the vision. It had to look like a poster. So we sent it to Ned Beatty and he called me and said: "I can't do this. This is the worst thing I've ever read."'
Ages of the actors: * Gwyneth Paltrow (Tracy; Mills's girlfriend) was 22 during filming. * Brad Pitt (Mills) turned 31 during filming. * Kevin Spacey (John Doe) was 35. * R. Lee Ermey (Police Captain) was 50. * Morgan Freeman (Somerset) was 57.