Editing RoboCop (section)

=== Casting ===
[[File:Dan O'Herlihy 1955.JPG|thumb|upright|left|alt=A 1955 photograph of actor Daniel O'Herlihy|[[Dan O'Herlihy|Daniel O'Herlihy]] in 1955. His character, the Old Man, was based on [[MCA Inc.]] executive [[Lew Wasserman]].]]
Six to eight months were spent searching for an actor to play Alex Murphy / RoboCop.<ref name="UproxxRetro"/>{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=19}} [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]],<ref name="UproxxRetro"/> [[Michael Ironside]],<ref name="EmpireIronside"/> [[Rutger Hauer]], [[Tom Berenger]], [[Armand Assante]],<ref name="IndieWireCast"/> [[Keith Carradine]] and [[James Remar]] were considered.{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|p=25}} Orion favored Schwarzenegger, the star of their recent success ''[[The Terminator]]'' (1984),<ref name="IndieWireCast"/> but he and other actors were considered too physically imposing to be believable in the RoboCop costume; it was thought that Schwarzenegger would look like the [[Michelin Man]] or the [[Pillsbury Doughboy]].<ref name="UproxxRetro"/>{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=19}}<ref name="EmpireIronside"/> Others were reluctant because their face would be largely concealed by a helmet.{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=19}} Davison said that Weller was the only person who wanted to be in the film.{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=19}} The low salary he commanded was in his favor, as were his good body control from martial-arts training and marathon running and his fan base in the science-fiction genre after his performance in ''[[The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension]]'' (1984). Verhoeven said he hired him because "his chin was very good".<ref name="IndieWireCast"/>{{sfn|Goldberg|1988|pp=23, 25}}{{sfn|Warren|1987|p=19}} Weller spent months working with mime Moni Yakim, developing a fluid movement style with a stiff ending while wearing an American football uniform to approximate the finished costume.<ref name="EsquireOral"/><ref name="IGNHistory"/> Weller said that working with Verhoeven was his main reason for choosing the role over appearing in ''[[King Kong Lives]]'' (1986).<ref name="SFX"/><ref name="EWWeller30th"/>

[[Stephanie Zimbalist]] was cast as Murphy's partner Anne Lewis, but dropped out because of contractual obligations to ''[[Remington Steele]]'' (which had been canceled in 1986, but was revived because of its popularity).{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="VultureTidbits"/><ref name="OrlandoSentinelZimbalist"/><ref name="SunSentinelZimbalist"/><ref name="ObserverZimbalist"/>}} Her replacement, Nancy Allen, thought the film's title was terrible but found the script engrossing. Allen was known for her long blonde hair, but Verhoeven wanted it cut short so the character was not sexualized. Her hair was cut eight times before the desired look was achieved.<ref name="SyFyAllen"/> Allen undertook police-academy training for her role, and sought advice from her [[police lieutenant]] father.<ref name="SyFyAllen"/> Verhoeven encouraged her to act masculine and gain weight, which she accomplished by quitting smoking.<ref name="VultureTidbits"/>

Kurtwood Smith auditioned for Boddicker and Jones. He was known mainly for television work, but had not had film success, and saw ''RoboCop'' as a B-film with potential.<ref name="EsquireOral"/> The character was scripted to wear glasses so he would look like [[Nazi Party]] member [[Heinrich Himmler]]. Smith was unaware of this, and interpreted it as the character having an intelligent and militaristic front to conceal being a "sneering, smirking drug kingpin".<ref name="EsquireOral"/> Ironside was offered the role, but did not want to be involved with another special effects-laden film or play a "psychopath" after working on ''[[Extreme Prejudice (film)|Extreme Prejudice]]'' (1987).<ref name="IndieWireCast"/><ref name="EmpireIronside"/><ref name="DOGCast"/> [[Robert Picardo]] also auditioned for the role.<ref name="SyFyat30"/>

Ronny Cox had been stereotyped as playing generally nice characters, and said that this left the impression that he could not play more masculine roles.<ref name="LATimesRonnyCox"/> Because of this, Verhoeven cast him as the villainous Dick Jones.<ref name="SYFYCox"/> Cox said that playing a villain was "about a gazillion times more fun than playing the good guys".<ref name="AVClubCox"/> Jones, he said, has no compassion and is an "evil [son of a bitch]".<ref name="LATimesRonnyCox"/> Miguel Ferrer was unsure if the film would be successful, but was desperate for work and would have accepted any offer.<ref name="SFX"/> The Old Man was based on [[MCA Inc.]] CEO [[Lew Wasserman]], whom Neumeier considered a powerful and intimidating individual.<ref name="TheDissolveNeumeier"/> Television host Bixby Snyder was written as an Americanized, more-extreme version of British comedian [[Benny Hill]].<ref name="EsquireOral"/> Radio personality [[Howard Stern]] was offered an unspecified role, but turned it down because he thought the idea was stupid (although he later praised the finished film).<ref name="Stern"/>