Glenn Gordon Caron issued an ultimatum to ABC to secure Bruce Willis as the lead in Moonlighting. The network had rejected the actor 11 times after auditions. Willis went on to star alongside Cybill Shepherd in the series that debuted in 1985.
Caron had auditioned around 1,100 actors for the role of David Addison before spotting Willis. He described the moment in a 2007 Television Academy interview, saying he knew immediately that Willis was the right choice despite his unconventional appearance at the time.
ABC executives repeatedly turned down Willis, telling Caron that no one would believe him next to Shepherd. Caron responded by threatening to take the script elsewhere if the network did not cast Willis.
The move succeeded and Willis earned an Emmy and Golden Globe for the performance. Moonlighting ran for five seasons before ending in part due to Willis' growing film career.