Typically, an actor is so excellent in a task that it is inconceivable to think about anybody else taking part in their half. Nevertheless, it is attention-grabbing (and typically a bit bizarre!) to search out out who else was thought of for it!
Listed here are 40 shocking roles actors auditioned for:
The position as an alternative went to Steve Burns, who hosted the present from 1996-2002.
2.
Halsey was thought of for the position of Mary in Sinners. They advised the podcast In Your Desires with Owen Thiele, “I did learn the script. There’s not numerous white-passing Black women in Hollywood. So I did learn the script…[The vampires were a] large shock studying the script. I used to be like, ‘This can be a interval piece.’ I used to be like, ‘That is gonna be like, you understand, we’re on the plantation. This can be a deeply surface-level, interval piece about racial politics.’ After which there was vampires, and I used to be like, ‘What the fuck is happening?'”
She continued, I assumed I used to be hallucinating on the desk. As a result of they provide you a bit little bit of time to learn the script, and you aren’t getting to go away with it when it is that high-profile of a undertaking. You learn it, you give it again, and then you definitely go. So I left being like, ‘Am I okay?’ Like, I could not even double-check my work. I simply walked out of there with this reminiscence and was like, ‘Did I make the again half of that entire film up in my thoughts?’ It felt like they printed the primary half of, like, a special Ryan Coogler film after which stapled it to the again half of Blade. And it labored. That is not a criticism of it. It was superb. However for a second, I used to be like, ‘Am I getting punked?'”
The half in the end went to Hailee Steinfeld. Halsey mentioned, “She’s unimaginable. I do not assume I knew [she has African American heritage], however when her casting was introduced, I used to be like, that makes excellent sense. She’s beautiful. I’ve seen clips, and he or she’s so commanding and highly effective within the position. And he or she’s superb.”
3.
Gossip Woman creator Josh Schwartz advised Vulture, “We didn’t notice this on the time, however Jennifer Lawrence actually wished to play Serena and auditioned. This story got here to us secondhand, however we had been advised she undoubtedly auditioned and was bummed to not get it.”
Blake Energetic, in fact, performed Serena van der Woodsen.
4.
Blake Energetic auditioned to play Karen Smith in Imply Women — and he or she seemingly made it fairly far within the casting course of!
Amanda Seyfried, who was in the end forged as Karen, advised Self-importance Honest, “I had labored with this comedic director on my Karen audition as a result of I would first auditioned for Regina, and I would flown out to LA for the primary time with my mom. It was very thrilling. I met Lacey Chabert for the primary time, and Lindsay Lohan was within the room. And Blake Energetic was taking part in Karen, after which I used to be Regina. I flew dwelling, they usually had been like, ‘You understand what? We expect you are extra right for Karen.'”
5.
Ashley Tisdale was additionally within the working to play Karen in Imply Women! She advised Watch What Occurs Dwell!, “Gosh, it was so way back. I simply bear in mind screen-testing, and it was me and Blake Energetic and another person. However yeah, I screen-tested. That was, like, eons in the past, clearly.”
6.
On The Howard Stern Present, Seinfeld actor Jason Alexander revealed that Danny DeVito was supplied the position of George Costanza. Theorizing why he turned it down, Jason mentioned, “His profession, once we began Seinfeld, would’ve been at its apex. So, he in all probability did not wanna do a sidekick position.”
7.
Jason Alexander additionally mentioned that Chris Rock turned down the position of George on Seinfeld. He mentioned, “Why Chris would not do it, I do not know. Perhaps it did not get to a proposal stage. I do not know.”
8.
Michael Keaton advised The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast that he was supplied the position of Jack Shephard on Misplaced. Nevertheless, the unique model of Jack was a lot completely different — relatively than a predominant position, he would’ve been killed off within the pilot as a surprising twist. Nevertheless, when Jack developed to a extra everlasting position, Michael declined as a result of he did not need to signal on to one thing that might final for an indeterminate period of time.
The position was performed by Matthew Fox.
9.
Harry Types turned down the position of Prince Eric within the live-action The Little Mermaid remake. In 2023, director Rob Marshall advised Leisure Weekly that the singer “actually felt like he wished to go off and do the films that he ended up doing, which had been kind of darker.”
The position went to Jonah Hauer-King.
10.
Beyoncé was initially signed on to play Ally in A Star Is Born. Producer Invoice Gerber advised The Hollywood Reporter, “There was a second the place that was one of the best model of the film, after which impulsively, Beyoncé received pregnant. Will we wait? She was superb about all these items. She at all times understood if we had been going to take a special route. After which Clint [Eastwood, the original director] went off and did one other film.” He added that, in his preliminary assembly with the 2 actors, “I am sitting there considering, ‘I am watching one thing historic about to occur,’ after which it did not. It is simply the film enterprise.”
She was changed by Woman Gaga.
11.
Disney Channel’s former Vice President of Casting and Expertise Relations, Cornelia Body, advised the podcast Magical Rewind, “Zendaya did audition many instances for Descendants, and that was an enormous deal. It was a very huge deal. She auditioned time and again and actually wished it. It simply ended up not going her method. Now that I give it some thought, I am like, ‘Would Spider-Man have occurred proper at that very same time?’ Issues occur for a cause, and also you do typically ebook this different factor that is superb when you aren’t getting one thing else.”
She did not disclose precisely which position Zendaya auditioned for, however the Descendants franchise starred Dove Cameron as Mal and Sofia Carson as Evie.
12.
Elizabeth Olsen auditioned to play Daenerys Targaryen on Sport of Thrones. She advised BuzzFeed, “I forgot I auditioned for it.”
Emilia Clarke received the half.
13.
A behind-the-scenes video from Peacock revealed that Seth Rogen auditioned to play Dwight Schrute in The Workplace.
In fact, Rainn Wilson in the end performed Dwight.
14.
Trendy Household actor Eric Stonestreet tried out to play Kevin Malone on The Workplace.
The position went to Brian Baumgartner.
15.
And Kathryn Hahn learn for the position of Pam Beesly!
Jenna Fischer landed the position.
16.
One final attention-grabbing audition for The Workplace — John Cho tried out for the position of Jim Halpert!
The half went to John Krasinski.
17.
Lengthy earlier than taking part in an alternate actuality model of Reed Richards in Physician Unusual within the Multiverse of Insanity, John Krasinski was within the working for the titular position in Captain America. He advised The Ellen Present, “The reality is, they hadn’t supplied it to [Chris Evans] but, in order that they had been like, ‘Let’s have a look at who else is on the market earlier than we provide it to Chris Evans.’ And um, I went in, and I examined for Captain America…This can be a true story. I used to be placing the swimsuit on, and the [costume] man was like, ‘That is actually momentous.’ And I mentioned, ‘Sure.’ And I used to be placing the swimsuit on, and I used to be midway up — not carrying any garments apart from this — and [the suit] was midway up. And proper at that second, Chris Hemsworth walked by, and he was like, ‘Ya look good, mate.’ And I used to be like, ‘Nope. You understand what, it is advantageous. We do not have to do that.'”
He continued, “He was simply, like, jacked! He was like, ‘You are gonna look nice in that swimsuit.’ And I used to be like, ‘Do not make enjoyable of me, Hemsworth.’ So I simply walked away proper there. No, I did not. I acted my coronary heart out that day. And it did not work out, so.”
Chris Evans performed Steve Rogers till passing the Captain America mantle to Anthony Mackie (as Sam Wilson) in Avengers: Endgame.
18.
Based on the Guardian, there is a longstanding rumor that Elvis Presley was within the working for the position of Tony in West Facet Story, however his supervisor, Colonel Tom Parker declined on his behalf.
George Chakiris, who performed Bernardo within the 1961 movie, advised Fox Information, “No, I by no means heard something like that. However I’ll let you know one thing. Again once we had been doing the play in London, there was buzz concerning the film. And I bear in mind the 2 star names being thought of had been Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley for the roles of Tony and Maria. In fact, none of that occurred, however that is the one time I ever heard his identify and his reference to the opportunity of doing the movie lengthy earlier than it began. However I personally assume it is only a rumor that caught some sort of life over time. It is my understanding that Elvis did not need to do A Star is Born, so I can not think about that he would need to do West Facet Story.”
The position of Tony went to Richard Beymer.
19.
One other shocking position Elvis was reportedly thought of for: Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Manufacturing facility!
The half went to Gene Wilder.
20.
Initially, George Clooney was speculated to play Noah Calhoun in The Pocket book. Paul Newman was going to play the older model of Noah. George was excited at first, however after watching a couple of of the opposite actor’s films, he felt too intimidated to play the youthful model of him. He advised Deadline, “He is one of many handsomest guys you have ever seen. We met up [again], and I mentioned, ‘I can not play you. I do not look something such as you.’ … We simply wished to do it as a result of we wished to work collectively, [but] it ended up being not the best factor for us to do.”
The studio struggled to search out different actors who had been within the position as a result of Noah did not have a lot of a personality arc. Nevertheless, director Nick Cassavetes in the end supplied Ryan Gosling the position as a result of he thought he was “not like the opposite younger actors on the market in Hollywood” and never “good-looking” or “cool.”
21.
In her memoir The Girl in Me, Britney Spears wrote, “The Pocket book casting got here right down to me and Rachel McAdams, and though it could have been enjoyable to reconnect with Ryan Gosling after our time on the Mickey Mouse Membership, I am glad I did not do it. If I had, as an alternative of engaged on my album Within the Zone, I would have been appearing like a Forties heiress day and evening. I think about there are individuals within the appearing area who’ve handled one thing like that, the place that they had bother separating themselves from a personality. I hope I by no means get near that occupational hazard once more. Dwelling that method, being half your self and half a fictional character, is tousled. After some time, you do not know what’s actual anymore.”
The half went to a different pop star — Ariana Grande. On WWHL After Present, Reneé mentioned, “Ariana’s gonna be — can I cuss? Okay, she’s gonna be [bleeped] superb. I am so excited.”
23.
Based on Web page Six, earlier than director Stephen Daldry departed Depraved, he reportedly wished Woman Gaga to star as Elphaba. An alleged supply advised the outlet, “They’d conferences, the 2 of them, concerning the character and who she can be. [Lady Gaga] was primarily forged in his model, after which it fell via.”
With director Jon M. Chu on the helm, the position of Elphaba went to Cynthia Erivo.
24.
Web page Six additionally reported that the unique Depraved director wished Shawn Mendes to play Fiyero.
Jonathan Bailey in the end performed the position.
25.
Victorious actor Daniella Monet was one of many finalists within the working for the titular position on Hannah Montana. In a TikTok, she defined that, after the success that adopted her one-season present Pay attention Up, her “completely unimaginable” supervisor, Elaine Energetic (sure, Blake’s mother!), “made issues occur.” Daniella’s agent wished to push her in direction of characteristic roles, however that wasn’t what she wished for her profession. She defined, “So, I inform Elaine on the time. I am like, ‘Elaine, all I wanna do is Disney and Nickelodeon.’ She’s like, ‘Nicely, let me see if I can get you a common [meeting].’..So, we go to Disney, however, you guys, it was probably not a common. It was the testing session for Hannah Montana.”
In a follow-up video, she mentioned that she noticed Miley Cyrus — who received the position — and Taylor Momsen on the audition.
26.
Pals actor Matt LeBlanc declined to play Phil Dunphy on Trendy Household. He advised USA At present, “I bear in mind studying it, considering, ‘This can be a actually good script, [but] I am not the man for this. I would be doing the undertaking an injustice to take this. I do know what I can do; I do know what I can not do. Plus, I am having an excessive amount of enjoyable laying on the sofa.'”
The half went to Ty Burrell.
27.
Macaulay Culkin turned down an unspecified main position on The Massive Bang Idea. In 2018, he advised the podcast The Joe Rogan Expertise, “They pursued me for The Massive Bang Idea, and I mentioned no. It was sort of like, the best way the pitch was, ‘Alright, these two astrophysicist nerds and a fairly woman lives with them. Yoinks!’ That was the pitch. And I used to be like, ‘Yeah, I am cool, thanks.’ After which they got here again at me once more, and I mentioned, ‘No, no, no. Once more, flattered, however no.’ Then they got here again at me once more, and even my supervisor was, like, twisting my arm…I would have tons of of thousands and thousands of {dollars} proper now if I did that gig. On the identical time, I would be bashing my head in opposition to the wall.”
Although he did not say which position he was supplied, it was presumably Sheldon Cooper or Leonard Hofstadter, who had been performed by Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki, respectively.
28.
Whitney Houston declined the position of Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Present. Actor Darryl M. Bell advised Crimson Desk Speak, “Now I’m positive everybody is aware of there’s a Cosby/Completely different World connection and what most individuals don’t know is that there have been two actresses who had been being thought of for that position of Denise. When The Cosby Present was initially being forged, the position of Denise got here right down to Lisa Bonet and this different actress.” He mentioned that Whitney turned down the five-year contract as a result of she wished to pursue a music profession as an alternative.
Director Jay Sandrich advised the Archive of American Tv, “This woman we introduced again from New York mentioned to me, ‘I can not signal this contract.’ And I mentioned, ‘Why?’ And he or she mentioned, ‘Nicely, I wanna be a singer.’ And I mentioned, ‘Yeah, huh?’ She mentioned, ‘I can not be in each present.’ I mentioned, ‘Why not?’ She mentioned, ‘Nicely, I’ve to have the ability to tour.'”
“So I mentioned, ‘Do you’ve gotten a document contract?’ ‘No.’ ‘Have you ever ever toured?’ ‘No.’ ‘You understand, this present, if it will get on, it is profitable, it will assist your singing profession.’ [She] mentioned, ‘No, I will tour.’ And I mentioned, ‘Nicely, who advised you you would sing?’ She mentioned, ‘My mom and my aunt.’ And I mentioned, ‘Nicely, you possibly can’t do the present or signal the contract. You are in each present as a result of it is a couple of household.’ [She] mentioned, ‘I will not signal the contract.’ Whitney Houston!” he mentioned.
Lisa Bonet performed Denise.
29.
Matthew McConaughey auditioned to play Jack in Titanic, however opposite to standard rumors, he was by no means truly supplied the half. On Actually! with Rob Lowe, he mentioned, “So I went and browse with Kate Winslet, and it was not one of many auditions. They filmed it, so it was, like, into display screen check time. After we left, you understand, it was a type of ones the place they, like, adopted me, and once we received outdoors, they had been like, ‘That went nice.’ I imply, sort of, like, hugs. I actually thought it was going to occur. It didn’t…”
“I requested [director James] Cameron about this, as a result of the gossip over time that I heard and would see written about me was that I had the position in Titanic and turned it down. Not factual. I didn’t get supplied that position. For some time I used to be saying, ‘I gotta discover that agent. They’re in bother.’ I didn’t ever get the provide,” he mentioned.
The position, in fact, went to Leonardo DiCaprio.
30.
Leah Remini got here tremendous near starring in Pals, making it thorugh till the community approval spherical. She advised Media Village, “I had auditioned for the position of Monica. As an actress, you go on every audition considering, ‘This might change my life. I may get my automobile out of repo, or get a pleasant house that is not backed as much as a bar in Hollywood,’ so the whole lot rides on these moments…I used to be devastated that I did not get it. All of us knew it could be an enormous hit. We simply knew it.” She later made an look on the present, taking part in Lydia, a pregnant girls whom Joey helped, on “The One with the Delivery.”
Monica was performed by Courteney Cox.
31.
Kathy Griffin was within the working to play Phoebe Buffay on Pals. She advised HuffPost, “I’ve identified Jane [Lynch] since we had been each auditioning — I believe we had been auditioning for Phoebe on Pals like all my different girlfriends did.” Nevertheless, Jane advised the outlet that her supposed Pals audition was only a “Hollywood city fantasy.”
The position, in fact, went to Lisa Kudrow.
32.
John Travolta declined the titular position in Forrest Gump in favor of starring in Pulp Fiction.
The half went to Tom Hanks, and John had no regrets! He advised MTV, “No, as a result of if I did not do one thing Tom Hanks did, then I did one thing else that was equally attention-grabbing or enjoyable. Or if I did not do one thing Richard Gere did, I did one thing equally nicely. However I be ok with some I gave up as a result of different careers had been created.”
33.
Based on Digital Spy, the Die Onerous producers had been contractually obligated to supply the main position of John McClane to Frank Sinatra, who was 70 on the time, earlier than every other actors could possibly be thought of. The provide needed to be made as a result of he starred within the 1966 movie The Detective, which was primarily based on the ebook that preceded Nothing Lasts Ceaselessly. Die Onerous was tailored from Nothing Lasts Ceaselessly, making it a unfastened sequel to The Detective. Nevertheless, the singer turned it down — as did Clint Eastwood, Sylvestor Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Richard Gere, James Caan, and Mel Gibson.
Bruce Willis truly declined the position at first, however after his present Moonlighting needed to pause manufacturing to accommodate his costar Cybill Shepherd’s being pregnant, he accepted.
34.
The Massive Bang Idea star Jim Parsons tried out for the position of Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mom. He advised Dwell with Kelly and Michael, “It was one of many stranger experiences of my life. As a result of you understand how it’s to audition for issues. They arrive out with character breakdowns and stuff, and on this one, it particularly mentioned, ‘Barney, an enormous lug of a man.’ And I bear in mind considering, I received it and was like, ‘Who the hell checked out me and thinks ‘huge lug of a man?’ And it wasn’t offensive. I assumed, ‘That is foolish.'”
The position famously went to Neil Patrick Harris. Jim continued, “Look, all of it labored out advantageous…Neil’s higher for the half, let’s be trustworthy, and all of it went that method.”
35.
Jake Gyllenhaal advised The Hollywood Reporter, “I bear in mind auditioning for The Lord of the Rings [the role of Frodo] and moving into and never being advised that I wanted a British accent. I actually do bear in mind Peter Jackson saying to me, ‘You understand that you need to do that in a British accent?’ We heard again it was actually one of many worst auditions.”
Elijah Wooden performed Frodo Baggins.
36.
Within the docuseries Arnold, The Terminator author/director James Cameron mentioned, “I had been advised by [Orion Pictures cofounder] Mike Medavoy that the film was all forged. ‘I received this all labored out. O.J. Simpson and Arnold Schwarzenegger.’ I mentioned, ‘Nicely, which is which?’ These two names simply sounded so incorrect to me.” Recalling his assembly with the director, Arnold added, “Throughout our dialog, it grew to become clear nobody was hooked to O.J. Simpson taking part in Terminator as a result of he couldn’t be bought as a killing machine.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger performed the Terminator.
37.
Liam Hemsworth auditioned for the titular god of thunder in Thor.
The half went to his older brother, Chris Hemsworth, who advised Wired, “I believe my audition sucked. I believe that was the response I received. After which my youthful brother auditioned, and he received very shut. He received right down to the final 5 individuals after which did not get it. And so they had been like, ‘Look, he is nice, however he is a bit younger.’ My supervisor then mentioned, ‘Nicely, he does have an older brother,’ which was me. I got here again in, re-auditioned a couple of instances, and simply had a special perspective. Perhaps I had a bit extra kind of motivation that my little brother had received a glance in and I hadn’t. I additionally had achieved a few movies in between these two auditions, so I had a bit extra expertise and confidence in what I used to be gonna do.”
Their oldest brother, Luke, performed an Asgardian actor taking part in Thor in Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder. Moreover, Chris’s twin sons, Sasha and Tristan, shared the position of younger Thor in Love and Thunder, making Liam the one Hemsworth boy who hasn’t performed Thor!
38.
Will Smith turned down the position of Neo in The Matrix. In a Fb video, he mentioned, “The Wachowskis, they got here in, and it was like, that they had solely achieved one film. And so they got here in, they usually made a pitch for The Matrix. And, because it seems, they’re geniuses! However there is a advantageous line in a pitch assembly between genius and what I skilled within the assembly.” Unimpressed by their pitch, he made Wild Wild West as an alternative. You may watch Will reenact the pitch the Wachowskis gave him right here.
The position famously went to Keanu Reeves.
39.
Nicola Coughlan advised BuzzFeed, “I auditioned for Stranger Issues a variety of years in the past. I auditioned to play Robin.”
She continued, “Maya Hawke received it. She was much better than I ever would have been. It is a good lesson to actors: Watch the stuff you did not get, since you’ll completely perceive the way it’s not private. You are excellent for some issues, and you are not proper for different issues.”
40.
And eventually, Matt Damon turned down the position of Jake Sully in Avatar — which might’ve earned him $250 million — as a result of he was contracted to a Bourne film on the time. In 2023, he advised Leisure Tonight, “It is the dumbest factor an actor ever did within the historical past of appearing…I’ve in all probability achieved, like, 50 films. I’ve by no means been in a film that made $1 billion.”
The position went to Sam Worthington.
Which of those audition tales stunned you essentially the most? Do you assume any of the actors would’ve been a greater match for the position? Tell us within the feedback!