starring role for his then wife, Ali MacGraw. Friedkin  would not accept his conditions, and McQueen dropped out of the  film. He later went on record, regretting not accepting McQueens  conditions. Friedkin tried to get Clint Eastwood or Jack Nicholsan  but neither wanted to travel away at that time. He stated that  casting Roy Scheider in the lead was the worst casting decision he  has ever made. Although he felt Scheider is a good actor who did a  great job he is only interesting in a film as a "second or third  banana, hes not a star." The actor Amidou who played the Arab  Kassem/"Martinez" was his only real first choice all the other  actors according to Friedkin were "fourth, fifth and even sixth  choices."