People Are Sharing Actors You May Not Realize Were Almost Cast In Iconic Roles, And It's Incredibly Interesting
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Recently, in a thread on the subreddit r/movies, redditor u/phantom_avenger asked, "What actor was originally cast or considered for a role that would’ve been interesting to see?" and film buffs really came through with some truly interesting "almost" castings!
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So, with that in mind, here are just a few of the most popular responses shared:
1.Will Smith as Neo in The Matrix (1999)
"I remember visiting IMDb a while back. I was going over the trivia section after searching up The Matrix, and what caught my eye was that Will Smith was approached, but turned down the opportunity to play Neo before Keanu Reeves accepted the role! I never would’ve guessed that Will Smith would be the first choice for that character! Sure, he was a big star back in the '90s to 2000s (and still is!), but I think Neo would be a completely different character if he was played by him!"
Instead, the role ultimately went to Keanu Reeves:
2.Carrie Fisher as Miss Scarlet in Clue (1985)
"Carrie Fisher was originally cast as Miss Scarlet in Clue, but had to drop out to go to rehab for drug addiction. Lesley Ann Warren was amazing, but I would have loved to have seen Carrie and Tim Curry play off of each other in that."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Lesley Ann Warren:
3.Adam Sandler as Sgt. Donny Donowitz in Inglourious Basterds (2009)
"The role of Sgt. Donny Donowitz (aka 'The Bear Jew') was originally written by Quentin Tarantino to be played by Adam Sandler, who had to turn down the role due to already shooting the movie Funny People at the time."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Eli Roth:
4.Glenn Howerton as Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
"It would've made Quill a much more ambiguous character. Chris Pratt is great in the role, but not really believable as a 'bad guy.' Howerton’s Star Lord would have been much sketchier."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Chris Pratt:
5.Jason Momoa as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
"Honestly, I can kinda see that one. He wouldn’t have the same charm Dave Bautista has as Drax for sure, but Momoa can definitely pull off a comedic strong man role."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Dave Bautista:
6.Sacha Baron Cohen as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
"Honestly? I could see it. He always goes all out for his roles. He would've done Mercury justice, IMO."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Rami Malek:
7.David Bowie as Elrond in The Lord of the Rings trilogy
"Bowie wanted the role!"
Instead, the role ultimately went to Hugo Weaving:
8.Kate Winslet as Éowyn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy
"If I recall correctly, Kate Winslet was offered the role, but she couldn’t commit to the time as far as moving and living in New Zealand."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Miranda Otto:
9.David Schwimmer and Clint Eastwood as Agents J and K in Men in Black (1997)
"Thank God that didn't happen. IDK that the same chemistry would have been there."
Instead, the roles ultimately went to Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones:
10.Heath Ledger as Llewelyn in No Country for Old Men (2007)
"That would have been interesting to see."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Josh Brolin:
11.Chris Farley as Shrek in Shrek (2001)
"You can find some of his voice recordings for it on YouTube."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Mike Myers:
12.Nicolas Cage as Superman in a revived Superman franchise
"There's actually a picture of him in the Superman suit!"
Instead, the role was later revived for film by Henry Cavill:
13.Dougray Scott as Wolverine in the X-Men series
"Dougray Scott was originally cast as Wolverine, but couldn't do it due to his commitment to the Mission: Impossible movie, so the role went to an unknown named Hugh Jackman. Talk about a reversal of fortunes."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Hugh Jackman:
14.Eric Stoltz as Marty McFly in Back to the Future (1985)
"There's actual test footage of him, but I don't think a full movie would've done as well."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Michael J. Fox:
15.Matt Damon as Jake Sully in Avatar (2009)
"Matt Damon was offered the role, but it clashed with the shooting for Bourne Ultimatum, and he didn't think it was fair to leave Paul Greengrass in the lurch. More importantly, he was offered a PERCENTAGE of Avatar's box office — which would have made him $270 million over time."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Sam Worthington:
16.Jennifer Connelly as Veronica in Heathers (1988)
"The character of Veronica in Heathers was written for Jennifer Connelly, but her parents wouldn’t let her do it. She might have had a much different career if she’d done it."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Winona Ryder:
17.Cillian Murphy as Batman in Batman Begins (2005)
"He has a screen test as Batman. He and Chris Nolan are long-time collaborators, and — apart from the relatively small role of Scarecrow in Batman Begins — he'd go on to star in multiple Chris Nolan films: Inception, Dunkirk, and soon, Oppenheimer."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Christian Bale:
18.Mickey Rourke as Stuntman Mike in Death Proof (2007)
"Not that Kurt Russell wasn't good, but he's not as creepy and off-putting as Mickey Rourke. I think it would have been a better film."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Kurt Russell:
19.Elvis Presley as Tony in West Side Story (1961)
"Just hearing him sing 'Maria' would have been worth it."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Richard Beymer:
20.Antonio Banderas as the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
"I heard once that Antonio Banderas was considered for the Phantom, and I’d love to see that alternate history."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Gerard Butler:
21.Madonna as Catwoman in Batman Returns (1992)
"Madonna recently stated she was considered for Catwoman and turned it down. I like Madonna, but that would have been a catastrophe."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Michelle Pfeiffer:
And finally:
22.Charlie Hunnam as Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
"I don't care for Fifty Shades of Grey, but I would have liked to see Hunnam's take on it."
Instead, the role ultimately went to Jamie Dornan:
You've read their picks, but now it's your turn! Which of these surprised you the most? Do you know of any "almost" casting decisions that blew your mind? Share in the comments below!
Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. H/T: Reddit.
