A lot goes on behind the making of a film or show. Several auditions are often done or other actors are offered a role before the audiences see the final person on screen. And, while audiences love the actors who portrayed the character they liked, they were not necessarily the first choice. Here is a list of 20 times when actors backed out of roles that went on to become a cultural phenomenon.
1. Amy Schumer as Barbie in Barbie
People were surprised to learn that actress Amy Schumer was considered to play the popular doll in the blockbuster movie Barbie (2023) before the part went to Margot Robbie and became a phenomenon. Reasons included scheduling conflicts and as Amy revealed, creative differences were also a matter of contention. Schumer had a different idea for the movie, which the studio wasn’t keen on.
2. Anne Hathaway as Tiffany in Silver Linings Playbook
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) was a massive hit and made Jennifer Lawrence an A-List celebrity for portraying Tiffany in the movie and won an Oscar for Best Actress. But, before Lawrence bagged the role, Anne Hathaway was considered for the part. Unfortunately, she declined the role due to creative differences with the director, David O. Russell.
3. George Clooney as Noah in The Notebook
Another surprising casting that was in the talks was George Clooney playing the role of the passionate Noah in The Notebook (2004). Even though it is difficult to envision anyone other than Ryan Gosling, Clooney could have been the leading man. But he backed out because he watched the work of older Noah, played Paul Newman, and considered himself less good-looking than him.
4. Britney Spears as Allie in The Notebook
The Notebook seems to be a movie that keeps giving surprises. Makers were on a hunt to find the right Allie and after a long search, Rachel McAdams was cast in the role. Even though Rachel is now an audience favorite, pop star, Britney Spears was also considered at one time. Surprisingly, the singer even performed a screen test with Ryan Gosling.
5. Claire Danes as Rose in Titanic
Another casting shocker for fans would be that Claire Danes was offered the role of the head-strong Rose in Titanic (1997) before Kate Winslet, but she turned it down. Danes stated that she worked with Leonardo in Romeo + Juliet a year earlier and was shocked at the stardom that her co-star got. She said that she didn't want that level of superstardom and have any regrets about turning down the role.
6. Julia Roberts as Viola in Shakespeare in Love
Shakespeare in Love (1998) had many versions and Julia Roberts was to play the part of Viola de Lesseps for a long time before that version fell apart. The film ended up going to Miramax and the studio re-envisioned the project. Gwyneth Paltrow, who played Lesseps, stated in an interview that after the film went to Miramax, the studio offered the role to her before anyone else.
7. Vince Vaughn as JoeyTribbiani in Friends
Fans would be surprised to learn that several actors were considered for the role of the six friends in the iconic show—but it was a struggle to cast everyone perfectly. The casting director of Friends, Ellie Kanner, revealed in an interview that Vaughn was one of the actors who auditioned for Joey Tribbiani, and even though he fit the part, he didn’t go well with the rest of the group, which was an important criterion.
8. Janeane Garofalo as Monica in Friends
As stated before, various actors were considered for the group of six in Friends. Now, even though fans can’t separate Courtney Cox from her iconic role as Monica Geller, it would be surprising to learn that the part was written for Janeane Garofalo. The show’s creator, David Crane, stated that Garofalo’s "edgier and snarkier" persona was wanted for the role but Cox’s charm swerved the character in a new direction, which the makers liked.
9. Amanda Seyfried as Regina George in Mean Girls
The iconic chick flick, Mean Girls (2004), also has a bit of audition history for its iconic roles. While Black Lively was considered for Karen at one point, which ultimately went to Amanda Seyfried, Amanda was to take on the role of the vicious leader Regina George, which went to Rachel McAdams. Seyfried states that she auditioned for the part and even met Lindsey Lohan and Lively.
10. Al Pacino as Han Solo in Star Wars
The creator of Star Wars (1977), George Lucas, did not have Harrison Ford in mind as his first choice for the role of the enigmatic smuggler, Han Solo. In an interview, Al Pacino stated that because of his breakthrough success as Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972), he was offered a lot of roles. One of them was Han Solo’s from Star Wars. But the actor refused because he didn’t understand the story.
11. Sandra Bullock as Maggie in Million Dollar Baby
Million Dollar Baby (2004) was an empowering film and Hilary Swank even won an Oscar for her determined performance. Before Swank put on the boxing gloves, it was Sandra Bullock who was supposed to play the role. Bullock stated that she fought a lot to get Million Dollar Baby off the ground but it didn’t work. Things changed when Clint Eastwood stepped in and Bullock believes that everything happens for a reason.
12. John Travolta as Forrest Gump in Forrest Gump
Robert Zemeckis’s classic 1994 movie, Forrest Gump, follows the life of the kind but naïve Gump across various periods of American history. But, the role was initially offered to John Travolta before it went to Oscar-winner Tom Hanks. However, John declined the part because he decided to take on the role of Vincent Vega in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, released in the same year, which helped to revive his career.
13. Hugh Jackman as James Bond in Casino Royale
Hugh Jackman became famous after playing Wolverine in X-Men (2000) and was offered several roles, one of which was of the iconic spy, James Bond for Casino Royale (2006). In an interview, Jackman stated that he was gearing up to do X-Men 2 but got a call from his agent about portraying Bond. The actor stated that he wanted the franchise to become grittier and real rather than being unbelievable. But, his suggestions were not incorporated and Daniel Craig was chosen to play the role.
14. Emily Blunt as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Fans would be surprised to know that Scarlett Johansson was not the first choice for Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but rather, it was Emily Blunt. Due to scheduling conflicts, Blunt declined the role, and it eventually went to Johansson who embodied the part. Blunt even commented that the role going away was a bit of a heartbreaking moment.
15. Eminem as Mad Max in Mad Max: Fury Road
Directors have a vision for their films and so was the case with Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) director, George Miller, who wanted rapper Eminem, for the titular role. It is reported that Miller was hell-bent on getting the rapper on board as he was impressed by Eminem’s performance in 8 Mile (2002). Miller stated that he found Eminem to have the quality required for the role. The part ultimately went to Tom Hardy, as the rapper refused to shoot in Australia (one of the locations where the film was shot) as he "didn't want to leave home."
16. Jack Nicholson as Don Michael Corleone in The Godfather
Even though Al Pacino’s performance as Don Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972) is now considered one of the most legendary works in cinema, there was a time when the role was first offered to Jack Nicholson, who was a more established star than Pacino. Years later, Nicholson explained that he knew that the film would be a massive success, but he wanted Indians and Italians to play roles as they were written for the same.
17. Will Smith as Neo in The Matrix
The versatile actor, Will Smith, was the first choice for the role of Neo in the sci-fi franchise, The Matrix (1999). However, Smith stated that he declined the role because he didn’t understand the movie and he would not be doing justice to the role. Eventually, the role went to Keanu Reeves.
18. Michelle Pfeiffer as Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs
The famous psychological horror film, The Silence of the Lambs (1991), was an instant success upon release. Before Jodie Foster embodied the role of Clarice Starling and won an Oscar for the same, the director, Jonathan Demme, wanted Michelle Pfeiffer in the part. However, Pfeiffer was uncomfortable with the extensive amount of gore and dark subject matter and declined to do the film.
19. Emily Browning as Bella Swan in The Twilight
The Twilight film series was a massive success and one of the most talked-about films of its time. The characters of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen gained fame and so did its actors, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. But, before Kristen Stewart the role was offered to Emily Browning. However, the actress declined because she had just finished filming the horror movie, The Uninvited (2009) and wanted to take a break from a film that would eventually turn into a series.
20. Leonardo DiCaprio as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho
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The movie American Psycho (2000) has a cult following and a very loyal fanbase. But fans would be surprised to know that the role of psychotic businessman, Patrick Bateman was offered to Leonardo DiCaprio before onboarding Christian Bale. However, Leonardo declined the part as he didn't want to play a controversial character after seeing the negative reactions towards it. Eventually, the role was offered to Bale.
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