There are times when a Hollywood star falls in love with a character or a story. Sadly, there is never any guarantee that the movie will be a success. We are sure that plenty of actors and actresses have regrets about their career choices in the past. This is simply how show business works! The following celebrities must be imagining just how different their lives would be if they had simply taken on these roles instead.
Emily Blunt – Black Widow
We are sure that many people are more than happy with the way Scarlet Johansson brought Black Widow to life. However, the truth is that the studio initially wanted to cast Emily Blunt in the superheroine’s role! She turned it down because it conflicted with the shooting schedule of Gulliver’s Travels. While Iron Man 2 is not the biggest Marvel movie ever, it did better than the Jack Black flick. On top of that, the role of Black Widow has opened so many doors for Johansson!
Emily Blunt – Black Widow
Michael Madsen – Pulp Fiction
Quentin Tarantino has a habit of casting the same crew of actors and actresses in his films. For one, you will find Michael Madsen in both Reservoir Dogs and The Hateful Eight. It is said that he was also offered to portray Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction. He refused the role to play Wyatt Earp instead, and the role then went to John Travolta. His choice allegedly caused tension between the director and the actor, which caused them not to speak to each other for a while. In the end, they patched it all up! Madsen was later cast to appear in Kill Bill: Volume I.
Michael Madsen – Pulp Fiction
Brad Pitt – The Bourne Series
There are not many actors who are as famous as Brad Pitt. He has starred in many big films of our time. Despite this, we should remember that he is still only a human being who makes mistakes. He turned down the role of Jason Bourne, which ultimately made Matt Damon an even bigger star. Pitt had to say no to it in favor of a movie called Spy Game. While it did not flop, the Bourne series did a lot better.
Brad Pitt – The Bourne Series
Eddie Murphy – Rush Hour
Have you ever seen the Rush Hour franchise? If not, you must have at least heard of them at one point or another. What we do know is that you are probably not at all familiar with Holy Man. Sadly, Eddie Murphy knows this better than anyone else. He went on to take on the latter project at a low point in his career. This movie did not do him any favors at all. We bet that he regrets his decision to pass up on the other project when it could have elevated his career once more. Too bad.
Eddie Murphy – Rush Hour
Matt Damon – Manchester By The Sea
Is there anything that Matt Damon can’t do? We are starting to think otherwise. He has shown us his range by starring in Goodwill Hunting and The Departed. While he is clearly a talented guy, he has starred in flops as well. Downsizing is a great example of this. He chose to back out of directing and appearing in Manchester by the Sea. You probably already know that the role instead went to Casey Affleck. What makes this hurt even more was winning the Academy Award for Best Actor with this performance! Ouch.
Matt Damon – Manchester By The Sea
Tim Roth – Harry Potter
Alan Rickman had already shown all of us that he was a very competent actor even before he was cast to play Severus Snape. However, this clearly became the most iconic role of his career. Instead, this honor would have gone to Tim Roth had he not turned it down to appear in Planet of the Apes. He should have ditched the Tim Burton reboot of the classic and instead starred in the series. Alan Rickman went on to become one of the greatest fantasy actors ever as Apes crashed and burned.
Tim Roth – Harry Potter
Brooke Shields – Scarface
Did you know that Brooke Shields was offered the part of Elvira in Scarface? Sadly, her mom turned her in the wrong direction by suggesting that she should ditch the gangster flick and instead star in a movie called Sahara. Michelle Pfeiffer took over and became an even bigger star for it. So that you know, Shields ended up winning the Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor for this role. Not only that, but she actually made history as the first actress to bring home this award.
Brooke Sheilds – Scarface
Jean Reno – The Matrix
This French actor has appeared in a couple of notable movies, but he missed out on Agent Smith’s role in The Matrix. Jean Reno turned it down as he refused to live in the Land Down Under to shoot it. He instead went on to play a French secret agent in Godzilla, which was torn to shreds by critics. On the other hand, The Matrix is well-loved even to this day.
Jean Reno – The Matrix
David Schwimmer – Men In Black
It is not a stretch to say that the cast of Friends has since become larger-than-life. David Schwimmer is best known for bringing Ross to life on the show. He probably hoped to improve his career some more after the sitcom came to an end. He ended up making bad career choices, which includes picking Pallbearer over Men in Black. The latter turned into a hit and propelled Will Smith into stardom when he portrayed Agent J in the flick. Schwimmer earned a Razzie Award for Worst New Star courtesy of the romantic flick he chose. Ouch.
David Schwimmer – Men In Black
Will Smith – Django Unchained
Will Smith learned just how much of a mistake it was to turn down a role in a Quentin Tarantino movie. After all, it is almost guaranteed to be a hit. Sadly, the actor did not know any better in the past. He had the chance to play Django but blew it. He ended up going for After Earth with Jaden, his son, instead. A rumor said that he turned down the lead role of Django Unchained due to the nature of the character. Allegedly, he preferred a movie about love instead of revenge!
Will Smith – Django Unchained
Tom Cruise – Footloose
Over the years, we have seen just how much range Tom Cruise has. The actor can play just about any role out there. Sadly, he has also missed out on some great ones in the past. Did you know that he was in the running to star in Footloose? He did such a great job in Risky Business that he caught the eye of the casting directors. The actor turned down Ren McCormack’s role to instead star in All the Right Moves, whereas the other film became an ‘80s hit.
Tom Cruise – Footloose
Will Smith – The Matrix
Even before 1999, Wil Smith had already established himself as a great actor. He had already appeared in several blockbuster hits by then. We are not surprised to hear that the Wachowskis wanted him to bring Neo to life in The Matrix. He backed out because he felt hesitant about all the special effects that they planned to use. As we all know, Keanu Reeves got the part instead and made history. On the other hand, Smith starred in a Wild Wild West movie, which earned the Razzie Awards for Worst Screen Couple and the Worst Original Song. That must suck.
Will Smith – The Matrix
Christina Applegate – Legally Blonde
Reese Witherspoon is probably best known for starring in Legally Blonde, in which she plays a law student by the name of Elle Woods. It is hard to imagine this character played by anyone else, but Christina Applegate was the first choice for this role. She turned it down because she did not want to get typecast as another “blonde” actress. Mind you. She had just wrapped up Married with Children at the time. This is why she did Just Visiting, which proved to be a flop.
Christina Applegate – Legally Blonde
Kevin Costner – Shawshank Redemption
A lot of people still regard Waterworld as one of the worst films in the history of cinema. It had a huge budget, but the movie’s the production and reception proved to be complete disasters. Kevin Costner should have really stuck to The Shawshank Redemption instead of this hot mess. After all, it is now thought to be one of the best films ever made. Sadly, he chose to turn down the chance to portray Andy Dufresne to work on the action film. We all have our regrets, right?
Kevin Costner – Shawshank Redemption
Leonardo DiCaprio – American Psycho
Can you believe that Leo DiCaprio was allegedly the first choice of the studio for Patrick Bateman’s role in American Psycho? It was said that they were even willing to go against Mary Harron, the director who preferred Christian Bale. When Oliver Stone took over the direction, he and DiCaprio found it hard to be on the same page. This was the reason the actor walked away and filmed The Beach instead. Bale ended up getting the role as originally planned and turned the movie into a cult classic. Let us just say that The Beach is nowhere near as popular.
Leonardo DiCaprio – American Psycho
Julia Roberts – The Blind Side
There was a time when Julia Roberts was the best-paid actress in Hollywood. She only earned A-list status after starring in Erin Brockovich. She delivered such a great performance that she brought home the Best Actress Award at the Oscars! We are sad to say that she has turned down other Oscar-worthy roles. For one thing, she could have played Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side instead of Sandra Bullock. Instead, she opted to work on the rom-com flick Valentine’s Day.
Julia Roberts – The Blind Side
Tom Selleck – Indiana Jones
After seeing how good Harrison Ford was in Han Solo’s role, Steven Spielberg wanted to cast him in the role of Indiana Jones. However, George Lucas did not want to use the same actor in another one of his movies and instead cast Tom Selleck to play Indy. The actor dropped out of the role due to contract issues with his role in Magnum, P.I. While it was a wildly successful show in its own right, it has not quite elevated him to the same level of stardom that Indiana Jones would have.
Tom Selleck – Indiana Jones
Hugh Jackman – James Bond
Recently, Hugh Jackman shared that he had the chance to take on James Bond’s role in Casino Royale. The Australian actor was interested but had to turn it down due to his contract for X2: X-Men United. In the end, Daniel Craig got to play Agent 007 in a couple of films in the franchise. Jackson revealed that he would be interested if they offer him the part again in the future.
Hugh Jackman – James Bond
Katie Holmes – The Dark Knight
We can see why so many people believe that Batman Begins by Christopher Nolan changed the superhero movie. Two sequels followed this. You might remember that Katie Holmes initially played Rachel Dawes in the first movie. However, Maggie Gyllenhaal took over in the following two films. This happened because Holmes preferred to work on Mad Money instead. She must regret this decision a lot as the next two movies in the series saw a lot of success.
Katie Holmes – The Dark Knight
Marilyn Monroe – Breakfast At Tiffany’s
Did you know that Truman Capote initially wanted to cast Marilyn Monroe to bring Holly Golightly to life? This would have changed so many things! Her agent convinced her to turn it down due to the job of the character. In the end, she went on to star in a movie directed and written by her husband, Arthur Miller. The Misfits proved to be a disaster and went on to end their marriage. On the other hand, Audrey Hepburn remains best known for starring in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Marilyn Monroe – Breakfast At Tiffany’s
Benicio Del Toro – Star Trek: Into Darkness
We find it hard to imagine anyone turning down a Star Trek role, but this was the case for Benicio Del Toro. The actor was the first choice to portray Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness. Sadly, he let it slip through his fingers after failure to agree on the pay. He instead played The Collector in Thor: The Dark World that year and gave Khan to Benedict Cumberbatch. It must have been awful for him to hear that it became the top-grossing movie in the entire Star Trek series after making it big at the box office with sales of over $467 million.
Benicio Del Toro – Star Trek Into Darkness
Brad Pitt – The Bourne Identity
Wait until you hear that Brad Pitt turned down the chance to star in The Bourne Identity to appear in two episodes of Jackass. The movie producers reached out to him to offer him the role, but his agent simply said that the actor had too much on his plate at the time. We all know that this role instead went to Matt Damon, who became an even bigger star because of it. Aside from the MTV show, Pitt only made a cameo in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind that year.
Brad Pitt – The Bourne Identity
Michelle Pfeiffer – The Silence Of The Lambs
In 1995, The Silence of the Lambs was nominated for seven Academy Awards. Jodie Foster also took home the Best Actress award for the way she played Clarice Starling. Can you believe that Michelle Pfeiffer could have portrayed this character instead? She ended up turning it down because of how dark the movie was. She instead played LouAnne Johnson in Dangerous Minds. Aside from that, she also made a cameo in the music video of “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio.
Michelle Pfeiffer – The Silence Of The Lambs
Jennifer Connelly – Heathers
We honestly can’t imagine anyone else playing Veronica in Heathers but Winona Ryder. But the truth is that screenwriter Daniel Waters had Jennifer Connelly in mind as he wrote its script. A lot of people knew her as Sarah from Labyrinth at the time. While this movie could have shot her to even more fame, she refused this offer to play a ballet student in an Italian film called Etoile.
Jennifer Connelly – Heathers
Burt Reynolds – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
We know just how unbelievable it is to imagine Burt Reynolds in the role of James Bond. He was running for the part while they were casting around for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Sadly, he turned it down since he did not think that an American could bring justice to the role. He ended up working on Western movies like 100 Rifles instead. The actor later said, “I spent the entire time refereeing fights between Jim Brown and Raquel Welch.”
Burt Reynolds – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
John Travolta – Forrest Gump
Is there a more famous and quotable movie than Forrest Gump? We doubt it. This was the top-grossing movie in 1994. Aside from that, Tom Hanks also won the Best Actor at the Oscars for this role. We find it hard to imagine John Travolta in this role, but it was possible. He only turned it down to be in Pulp Fiction instead. Both are great roles, but we will let you pick which one is better.
John Travolta – Forrest Gump
Emily Browning – Twilight
This actress has been in many movies in the past, but you might not have known that she was nearly cast to bring Bella Swan to life in Twilight. Emily Browning turned it down after she read the script and worked on The Uninvited. The iconic role then went to Kristen Stewart. We all know just how big the young adult franchise has since become, so it must be a source of regret for her.
Emily Browning – Twilight
Matthew Broderick – Breaking Bad
You are probably familiar with Breaking Bad, a TV show about a chemistry teacher who starts to make and sell crystal meth after finding out that he has lung cancer. It is now deemed one of the best TV shows in history, which has a lot to do with the amazing performance Brian Cranston delivered in the role of Walter White. Did you know that Matthew Broderick could have played this character instead? The actor turned it down to work on The Tale of Despereaux.
Matthew Broderick – Breaking Bad
Paul Schaffer – Seinfeld
In 2009, Paul Schaffer released a memoir called “We’ll Be Here the Rest of Our Lives.” In it, he admits that Jerry Seinfeld first contacted him to play George Costanza on Seinfeld. In fact, he did not even have to audition because the role was all his already. In the end, Schaffer turned it down as he was far “too busy” with his music career at the time. He clearly had no idea how big the show would be.
Paul Schaffer – Seinfeld
Tom Hanks – Jerry McGuire
Cameron Crowe is the director behind Jerry McGuire. He has said that they first came up to Tom Hanks for the lead role. Sadly, the actor had been busy working on That Thing You Do at the time. This was how they ended up approaching Tom Cruise for it instead. Hanks eventually said that he would not have played the character as well as his replacement did! What a humble guy.
Tom Hanks – Jerry McGuire
Ray Liotta – The Sopranos
This actor is best known for starring in Goodfellas. Ray Liotta has since become a big name in the gangster genre. While they were casting for The Sopranos, he was one of the top choices by the execs. He ended up turning down the role of Tony Soprano, who James Gandolfini ultimately played. His performance has since become known as one of the greatest in the history of TV.
Ray Liotta – The Sopranos
Henry Winkler – Grease
These days, Grease is seen as a classic. John Travolta has become a household name for the way he played Danny Zuko in it. Before he was cast, however, Henry Winkler could have taken on the role instead. He ended up declining it as he did not want to be typecast. For the longest time, he was Fonz on Happy Days. He went on to star in The Only instead but has expressed regret about turning down the musical role.
Henry Winkler – Grease
Mel Gibson – Gladiator
It is not easy to imagine Gladiator without Russell Crowe. He left a huge impression on us as he shouted orders or fought in the Colosseum. We wonder what it would have been like if the role went to Mel Gibson as originally planned. The actor turned it down under the belief that he was too old for action roles like this one. This is why he opted to instead work on What Women Want.
Mel Gibson – Gladiator
Bruce Willis – Ghost
You can call Patrick Swayze the face of Ghost, but this would not have happened if Bruce Willis agreed to take on the part of Sam Wheat. The film has gone on to be very successful and remains popular even to this day. Aside from that, Willis would have starred alongside his wife of the time, Demi Moore. He ended up declining the role to star in The Bonfire of the Vanities instead.
Bruce Willis – Ghost
Dana Delaney – Sex And The City
Have you ever seen Sex and the City? The TV show would simply not have been the same if Sarah Jessica Parker did not play Carrie Bradshaw. Despite this, the truth is that Dana Delaney nearly landed the role. By then, she had already portrayed similar characters in movies such as Live Nude Girls. She had also worked with Kim Cattrall in the past. Sadly, she ended up turning it down to work on TV movies such as Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two Couples. Oops.
Dana Delaney – Sex And The City
Molly Ringwald – Pretty Women
In the ‘80s, there were not many actresses more popular than Molly Ringwald. She is best known for starring in movies like Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, and Sixteen Candles. Even though she could have starred in Pretty Women, she was not interested in the project. She instead worked on Betsy’s Wedding and allowed Julia Roberts to take on Vivian Ward’s role. It is not at all a secret that this role propelled her to stardom!
Molly Ringwald – Pretty Women
Lindsay Lohan – The Hangover
It is easy to assume that The Hangover resulted from bored Hollywood actors, but a lot of thought has actually gone into it. After all, it did spawn two sequels for a reason. While they were casting for the stripper that Stu marries in the first movie, they first approached Lindsay Lohan for the role. She declined the part as she was only 20 years old and preferred to work on a romcom called Labor Pains. This was how Heather Graham landed the part and appeared in the third movie. We have already covered a lot of movie roles that actors and actresses should have accepted. Let us now move on to actors who tried out for a role but got cast in a different part!
Lindsay Lohan – The Hangover
Iwan Rheon – Game Of Thrones
This actor had done such a great job of bringing his character to life that he immediately became among the most hated people in the cast. Iwan Rheon played Ramsay Bolton but initially tried out for the role of Jon Snow! As we all know, the lead character ultimately went to Kit Harrington instead. Despite this, Rheon impressed the casting directors and received an invitation to audition for the sadistic villain instead. He said, “I think they made the right choice. It would’ve been a very different Jon Snow if I played him.”
Iwan Rheon – Game Of Thrones
Alexander Ludwig – The Hunger Games
Do you remember Cato in the Hunger Games? This character was a District 2 tribute raised to compete. Alexander Ludwig played this bloodthirsty villain. With his athletic prowess, he was the perfect person for the job at hand. However, the actor originally wanted to portray Peeta Mellark in the franchise! Looking back on this, he said, “It’s fun playing the bad guy once in a while. I got to really experiment with a side of me that I’ve never seen before.”
Alexander Ludwig – The Hunger Games
Eddie Redmayne – Fantastic Beasts
We find it difficult to imagine a different actor in the role of Newt Scamander. Things could have gone very differently if Eddie Redmayne got what he originally wanted. He tried out for Tom Riddle’s role, which is basically Lord Voldemort as a teenager in the original series’s second installment. In 2016, the actor shared, “I properly failed and didn’t get a callback.” He then added that he remained hopeful that he could play one of the Weasleys. In the end, he got to appear in the Harry Potter universe in a different capacity altogether. We are sure that he is thankful for this amazing opportunity!
Eddie Redmayne – Fantastic Beasts
James Franco – Spider-Man
In the first Spider-Man trilogy, we got to see James Franco in the role of Harry Osborn. His character is Mary Jane’s boyfriend, the son of Norman Osborn, and the best friend of Peter Parker himself. Sadly, he turns into a villain in the third movie in the series as Green Goblin. The actor did justice to the role, but he initially hoped to play the titular superhero himself! He had been in the running for the role, although the executives ultimately cast Tobey McGuire instead. We are just glad that they did not overlook his talents and simply gave him a different role.
James Franco – Spider-Man
Tom Hiddleston – MCU
You must know that tom Hiddleston is responsible for bringing Loki to life. However, he did not plan to be a villain in the Marvel cinematic universe. He actually auditioned to play Thor instead! When he spoke to Jimmy Fallon, the actor revealed that he wanted to be the superhero. “I think we can all agree. They cast the right actor,” he said. If you ask us, he had been the perfect guy to play the trickster god. Things would have been so different if he got the role of his fictional brother instead.
Tom Hiddleston – MCU
Ashley Greene – Twilight
We loved seeing Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen in Twilight. Her character had the power to see the future in those movies, but she must not have seen the plans change when she auditioned. The truth is that she first had her eyes on the role of Bella Swan! She was later asked to try out for Alice’s role instead, but the process took some time. “I came in probably like five times before I actually got the role — and then I went home for Christmas and literally just had to wait and wait,” she said.
Ashley Greene – Twilight
Rainn Wilson – The Office
This sitcom is one of those shows where every single member of the cast knows their character like the back of their hand. The audiences love Rainn Wilson, who brought Dwight Schrute to life on the TV show. Can you believe that he wanted to play Michael Scott in the beginning? He said that he was embarrassed by his audition tape. “I just basically made my Ricky Gervais impression because I didn’t really know what to do with the character,” said the actor. We are just relieved that worked out in the end!
Rainn Wilson – The Office
Rachel McAdams And Lindsay Lohan – Mean Girls
In this hit movie of the early 2000s, Rachel McAdams played Regina George. Her character was the pretty clique leader that everyone wants to be. The actress did a fantastic job of bringing such a great character to life, but did you know that she originally tried out for the role of Cady? On the other hand, Lindsay Lohan originally wanted to be Regina George. As you can see, they ended up swapping roles! Waters says that they would have done well in the original roles, but the change was for the best.
Rachel McAdams And Lindsay Lohan – Mean Girls
Norman Reedus – The Walking Dead
In 2010, Norman Reedus got his hands on the pilot script of The Walking Dead. He had been keen to be a part of the project and tried out for Merle Dixon’s role. This part went to Michael Rooker instead. It was a good thing that Reedus left an impression on the casting directors, who created Daryl Nixon’s role all for him! The actor got a lot of creative control over the character as well.
Norman Reedus – The Walking Dead
Lee Pace – Guardians Of The Galaxy
The actor said that he planned to try out for Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy in 2012. Lee Pace, however, said that he was not exactly eager about this. It is a good thing that Chris Pratt ended up playing the role instead. The pace was not totally cut off from the project since they offered him Ronan the Accuser. This was the right call since the end roles suited them better.
Lee Pace – Guardians Of The Galaxy
Charisma Carpenter And Sarah Michelle Gellar – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Best known for bringing Cordelia Chase to life in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charisma Carpenter first wanted the title character for herself. On the other hand, Sarah Michelle Gellar wanted to play Cordelia Chase. They knocked the ball out of the park during their auditions, but Josh Whedon thought they would do a better job at switching roles. As we all know, this was for the best since they both did a great job at their final roles.
Charisma Carpenter And Sarah Michelle Gellar – Buffy The Vampire Slayer
John Krasinski –The Office
The world got to know John Krasinski after he played Jim Halpert in The Office. This role was his big break and propelled him to stardom. Can you believe that he first tried out for the role of Dwight Schrute? We can’t even imagine what it would have been like if he got that part instead. The casting directors let him try out for Jim since he thought he had great chemistry with Jenna Fisher. Whew!
John Krasinski –The Office
Carice Van Houten – Game Of Thrones
Also called Melisandre, The Red Woman is played by none other than Carice Van Houten. She was first asked to try out for Cersei Lannister. However, the actress was unable to take on that role due to a scheduling conflict. It worked out for the best as she earned one of the most iconic characters in the entire series. She later said, “Lena couldn’t be a better Cersei.” It is nice to see how humble she is!
Carice Van Houten – Game Of Thrones
Tom Felton – Harry Potter Franchise
We do not think that the Harry Potter franchise would be the same if it did not have Tom Felton. After all, he brought the memorable Draco Malfoy to life! It is shocking to hear that he did not try out for this role in the first place. The truth is that he auditioned for both Harry Potter and Ron Weasley instead! While he was disappointed initially, he was glad that Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint earned those parts. He did not think that anyone else could bring justice to them!
Tom Felton – Harry Potter Franchise
Christian Bale And Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
There are many superhero movies out there, but some people think that The Dark Knight is in a league of its own. Part of this goes to the incredible performances delivered by both Christian Bale and Heath Ledger. They say that the latter played Joker to perfection, but he initially wanted to play Batman! This ultimately went to Bale, but Ledger has made a name for himself with his take on the supervillain. For one thing, he posthumously won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Christian Bale And Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
Sebastian Stan – Captain America
At first, Sebastian Stan hoped to be cast in the role of Captain America. As we all know, this part went to Chris Evans instead. In the end, he appeared in the movies as Bucky Barnes. His character is a sergeant who happens to be the best pal of the title character. He got ready for this role by watching movies and documentaries about the Second World War. Aside from that, he revealed that he did not know much about comic books but wanted to capture the character to the best of his abilities!
Sebastian Stan – Captain America
Stephanie Beatriz – Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Can you imagine Stephanie Beatriz in the role of Amy Santiago in Brooklyn Nine-Nine? We have to admit that we can’t either. After she tried out for the role, she was asked to try for Rosa instead. We are sure that she felt nervous about trying out once more after getting turned down. It is a good thing she did. She also acknowledged that Melissa Fumero was perfect as Amy.
Stephanie Beatriz – Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Amanda Seyfried – Mean Girls
Isn’t it shocking to hear that Amanda Seyfriend wanted to play Regina George? In the end, Rachel McAdams earned the part. This does not mean that Seyfried did not come close, however. According to director Michael Waters, she had been great at the audition. “She played it in a much more ethereal, but still kind of scary way. She was more frightening, but oddly, less intimidating,” he went on. In the end, he decided that it would be best to give her the role of Karen Smith.
Amanda Seyfried – Mean Girls
Isaiah Washington – Grey’s Anatomy
Before the start of the TV show, Isaiah Washington wanted to bring Derek Shepherd to life. Patrick Dempsey edged him out for the role. Despite this, Shonda Rhimes liked the actor so much that she asked him to step in for Preston Burke’s role after the original actor dropped out of the project. Sadly, the character was written out after Washington had certain incidents with T.R. Knight and Patrick Dempsey on the show’s set. Oh well.
Isaiah Washington – Grey’s Anatomy
Jeremy Strong – Succession
This talented actor first tried out for the role of Roman Roy in Succession. It was not a matter of talent. Jese Armstrong is one of the show’s creators and said that Jeremy Strong would be a great Roman, although Kieren Culkin simply fit the role more. In fact, Armstrong even said that Culkin “is the character” and “a slam dunk.” Even so, they offered Strong the part of Kendall Roy.
Jeremy Strong – Succession
Colin Donnell – The Affair
Did you know that Colin Donnell had been looking at playing Cole Lockhart? However, this part was given to Joshua Jackson instead. Donnell was pretty close and actually tried out for the part thrice. Sarah Treem, the co-creator of the series, said that “he wasn’t quite right.” Despite this, she liked him well enough. As a matter of fact, she came up with the role of Scotty Lockhart all for him. It must have been nice to be able to play the brother of the character that you wanted. How flattering!
Colin Donnell – The Affair
Laura Prepon – Orange Is The New Black
In Orange Is the New Black, Laura Prepon plays Alex Vause. She is the ex of Piper Chapman, and they certainly need to sort things out. It is hard to imagine someone else in the role of Alex, but the truth is that Prepon initially wanted that role. Jeni Kohan, the showrunner, thought that it would be better if someone else played the innocent Piper. The real personality molded the unique character of Alex when the role was created.
Laura Prepon – Orange Is The New Black
Sandra Oh – Grey’s Anatomy
It is undeniable that Sandra Oh has a lot of talent. She has proven this in the role of Christina Yang in this medical drama! She almost did not get this role since she was initially invited to try out for Bailey. We are glad that she changed course and read for her famous role instead. “She brought this energy that felt very fresh. From the beginning, I’ve been shaping Christina around Sandra a little bit,” said Shonda Rhimes. Chandra Wilson was later cast to play Miranda Bailey.
Sandra Oh – Grey’s Anatomy
Hank Azaria – Friends
It is not a secret that Matt LeBlanc killed it as Joey in Friends. He was popular among fans of the show! Even though you can’t imagine anyone else taking on that role, Hank Azaria was once very interested in it. He tried out for the role and was rejected. In the end, they cast him to play a scientist called David, who was a love interest of Phoebe. He appeared on the show several times in the past.
Hank Azaria – Friends
Jensen Eckles And Jared Padalecki – Supernatural
For the longest time, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Eckles have been stealing hearts in the Winchester brothers’ role in Supernatural. The show’s fans will already know that Dean is the elder brother, whereas Sam is the younger one. It is interesting to hear that Eckles read for Sam first but found himself more interested in Dean. After the producers cast Jared Padalecki as Sam, they asked Eckles to try out for Dean. In the end, things worked out perfectly.
Jensen Eckles And Jared Padalecki – Supernatural
Paul Wesley – The Vampire Diaries
Here is another case of actors swapping roles as brothers. Did you know that Paul Wesley first tried out for the role of Damon? Ian Somerhalder ended up getting that part, however. We are glad that Wesley did not give up and tried out for the role of Stefan instead. It is not a secret that this turned out to be the right thing to do. They both did a great job of bringing their characters to life on the show.
Paul Wesley – The Vampire Diaries
Jon Favreau – Friends
Isn’t it amazing to think that Chandler from Friends could have been played by someone else? Jon Favreau tried out for this role before it was handed to Matthew Perry. The producers thought that he was the best man for the job. Despite this, they wanted Favreau to be involved n the project. This is why they gave him the role of Pete Becker, who was Monica’s love interest in “The Ultimate Fighting Championship.” Luckily, he has seen much success despite not landing the original role.
Jon Favreau – Friends
Ashley Tisdale – Zack And Cody
Girls and boys from all over the globe swooned over the cast members of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Among others, the Disney Channel show featured the Sprouse twins, Ashley Tisdale and Brenda Song. Did you know that Ashley Tisdale was originally interested in playing London Tipton instead of Maddie Fitzpatrick? The role ultimately went to Brenda Song. At any rate, she got her chance to be a drama queen in Sharpay Evans’s role in the High School Musical movies.
Ashley Tisdale – Zack And Cody
Liza Weil – Gilmore Girls
In Gilmore Girls, we got to watch Liza Weil play Paris Geller. The character is the rival of Rory Gilmore in the beginning, although they later become friends. The actress first wanted to be the main character, but the showrunners found Alexis Bledel to be more suitable for the role. Amy Sherman-Palladino did not want to reject Weil, which is why she came up with Paris Geller’s role. The character was only meant to be in three episodes, but she became a mainstay as the show went on.
Liza Weil – Gilmore Girls
Chadwick Boseman
Unless you have been living underneath a rock, you must already know that Chadwick Boseman played T’Challa in Black Panther. The actor had plenty of screen presence that made him the perfect man for the job. At first, however, he wanted a more light-hearted role: Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy. He did not snag the role for a reason. Things eventually worked out for the best. The actor credited director Sarah Finn for thinking about him while looking for actors to star in Black Panther.
Chadwick Boseman