IF Lindsay Lohan wants to know just how difficult it could be to revive her imploding movie career, she should talk to Woody Allen, who was forced to jettison both Robert Downey Jr. and Winona Ryder from one of his movie projects.
In "Conversations With Woody Allen," out this October from Knopf, the famed director tells author Eric Lax he was desperate to cast Downey and Ryder in his 2002 flick, "Melinda and Melinda." But, "I couldn't get insurance on them . . . We couldn't get bonded. The completion bonding companies would not bond the picture unless we could insure them."
At the time, Downey was recovering from years of drug addiction, which included several arrests and jail time. Ryder was on the mend from her conviction on felony grand theft for shoplifting from a Beverly Hills store in 2001.
"The insurance companies are very prissy and sticky and gave us a hard time," Allen recalled. "We were heartbroken because I had worked with Winona before [on "Celebrity"] and thought she was perfect for this and wanted to work with her again. And I had always wanted to work with Bob Downey and always thought he was a huge talent."
When Allen was told the duo weren't acceptable, "the actors got upset with us, like we're the ones who made the decision. But I felt we're the ones getting screwed every bit as much as them."
Instead, the Woodman had to go with Will Ferrell and Radha Mitchell. The picture opened to mixed reviews. Downey eventually won back Hollywood's trust after he stayed sober and has starred in such hits as "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "Zodiac." Ryder also overcame her issues, is in just-released "The Ten" and has "Sex and Death 101" coming out in October.
Lohan now faces a similar uphill struggle. She's already been dropped from a Shirley MacLaine project, which ended up being shelved for the time being.
And the hard-partying star is due in a Santa Monica court Aug. 24 to face charges from her July 24 arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence and with a suspended license. She also faces previous DUI-related charges.
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