1. - Neil Thompson, The Kentucky Fried Movie, 1977. Not yet the NBC Late Night  talk-fest star,  Letterman tested for the Eyewitness News Anchor and lost.

2. - Robert Hays, Airplane!  1980.  Tested for  the central role of the pilot afraid of flying in the Zucker brothers' spoof of Zero Hour! 1957.  Another TV star won and was swiftly forgotten, as Letterman rode on to  CBS Late Show glory.