Casting director Pat McCorkle confirmed to New York that Patric was in the running for the part, but noted that other actors are also being contemplated. Ruffalo said he would play opposite Ashley Judd's Maggie the Cat and Ned Beatty's Big Daddy in a New York profile on him.

Patric has starred in such films as "After Dark, My Sweet," "Rush" and "Your Friends and Neighbors."

Ruffalo first made his mark as a misfit teen in Kenneth Lonergan's This Is Our Youth. Lonergan and Ruffalo later teamed again for the praised film "You Can Count on Me," the actor's most prominent movie credit to date. Other stage roles include James Lapine's The Moment When at Playwrights Horizons.

Beatty is primarily a film animal, with such credits as "Deliverance," "Network," "Superman," "The Big Easy" and "Nashville" behind him. Judd is also almost exclusively a movie actress, with only one Broadway credit, Picnic, behind her. Her films include such fare as "Kiss the Girls," "Double Jeopardy" and "High Crimes."

The role of Maggie was originated onstage by Barbara Bel Geddes in the 1955 production. Elizabeth Ashley played the part in the 1974 Broadway revival and Kathleen Turner was Broadway's most recent Maggie the Cat in 1990. Burl Ives famously created the part of Big Daddy, with the folk singer forging a new career as a dramatic actor in the process. Fred Gwynne was the bellowing patriarch in 1974 and Charles During won a Tony for the part in 1990. As for Brick, slightly less famous players have filled the troubled, former football player's shoes. Ben Gazzara was the first to drown his sorrows. Keir Dullea was Ashley's husband and Turner tempted Daniel Hugh Kelly. Produced by Bill Kenwright, this production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof originated on the London stage with direction by Anthony Page. The cast at the Lyric Theatre featured Brendan Fraser, Frances O'Connor, Ned Beatty, Gemma Jones, Abigail McKern and Clive Carter.