11 Casting Choices That Caught Audiences Off Guard

It might seem like actors should at least somewhat resemble the literary characters they play. However, casting directors often don’t think so and choose stars who are, of course, cool but don’t quite fit the role in terms of appearance or personality, or they can’t convincingly show the passionate love that’s written in the script. The film may still become a hit, but loyal book fans don’t forgive such mistakes.

Viggo Mortensen, The Lord of the Rings

Originally, Aragorn was supposed to be played by Stuart Townsend, but he left the project before filming began. Then his place was taken by Viggo Mortensen, who, in the opinion of some fans, is far from the image of the descendant of Elendil. By the way, not long ago, Viggo acted brilliantly in The Green Book.

• My dad’s an old English professor who takes his Tolkien very seriously. He’s always been unhappy with the casting of Viggo as Aragorn, says he’s too small, not man enough. He’s too young. In the book, he was very tall and had gray hair. © NotSayingJustSaying / Reddit

Johnny Depp, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

For some viewers, Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Willy Wonka is a real benchmark. But there are also people who feel the opposite.

• I love Johnny Depp, but not as Willy Wonka. I thought he was just awful in that role. © jaypeeps / Reddit
• One of my favorite actors in one of my favorite stories. But it’s the black mark on Johnny Depp and Tim Burton’s careers. It’s bad, they were bad, and they should feel bad. © BjamminD / Reddit

Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones

There are legends about the casting for the TV adaptation of the cult series. Fans of the book series were dissatisfied with the choice of actors. Even the Mother of Dragons received criticism. Initially, Tamzin Merchant was confirmed for the role, but then the actress was replaced.

It’s worth noting that Emilia Clarke and Jason Momoa are good friends now.

• I’ve only read the first book, and Daenerys is described as a delicate, semi-transparent, graceful girl, which is not like Emilia at all. © Trun / ADME
• Emilia looks too doll-like, all around, and lacks the “dragon” or reptilian feature, so to speak. Initially, Tamzin Merchant was supposed to play Daenerys, and they even shot a pilot with her, but something went wrong, and she was replaced. She has something otherworldly about her. © Ana Ross / ADME

Mimi Ndiweni, The Witcher

In the opinion of fans of Andrzej Sapkowski’s books, the creators of the series have significantly altered the world of The Witcher. There are many questions about some characters, especially about Fringilla. In the story of the book’s Geralt and Ciri, this character plays a completely different role than she does in the series. Also, viewers felt that the actress did not convey the essence of Fringilla at all.

Chris Hemsworth and Josh Peck, Red Dawn

In the 2012 film, Chris Hemsworth and Josh Peck play brothers, and the dissimilarities between the actors are very noticeable. The film failed at the box office, and critics speculated that one of the main problems was the sluggish plot.

• The acting is horrible. And lots of plot holes. © leonblackwood / IMDb

Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp, The Tourist

On the Ranker list of actors with zero chemistry, Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie in The Tourist take first place (and we can’t forget the fashion lessons we’ve learned from Jolie).

There were rumors that the actors didn’t like each other. Most likely, this animosity was passed on to viewers. One critic joked that Depp was acting as if he was waiting for a call from class to go bowling.

Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Matthew McConaughey is known for his charisma, but it seems that it doesn’t extend to Kate Hudson. They have acted together in several movies, including How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, but there was no chemistry between their characters. Later, McConaughey moved away from playing the “handsome guy” and started taking on much deeper characters.

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán, Wednesday

Fans of the family believe that there is “no chemistry” between Wednesday’s parents. They call Morticia boring and Gomez “Uncle Fester in a wig.” However, Tim Burton himself emphasized that he chose the couple because of their dissimilarities.

Jesse Eisenberg, Justice League

Comic book fans believe that Jesse Eisenberg didn’t do a good job playing Lex Luthor. The Lex that everyone was used to is a composed character who has everything under control. Eisenberg, on the other hand, portrayed something else on the screen. In viewers’ opinion, he, once again, played Mark Zuckerberg, just a more evil version of him.

Helena Bonham Carter, Harry Potter movies

Bellatrix is the main follower of Voldemort, and despite fighting on the side of evil, she’s really cool. She loses her self-control only in the presence of the Dark Lord. But this is how she acts in the books.

In the movies, she’s almost always insane and comes across as just another crazy woman played by Helena Bonham Carter. At some moments, Bellatrix even resembles Mrs. Lovett from Sweeney Todd.

Gary Oldman, Harry Potter movies

In the book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius is not even 35 years old. And although life in prison has left its mark on him, he remains very youthful at heart. He behaves more like an older brother to Harry.

By the time the third movie was filmed, Gary Oldman was already 45 years old — a good 10 years older than his character. Moreover, he didn’t quite behave like the book’s Sirius — in the movie, the godfather seemed overly protective of Harry, more like a father figure than an older brother.

In a surprising twist, the 2017 Cannes Film Festival poster featured a slimmed-down Claudia Cardinale, sparking debate over modern beauty standards. Despite the controversy, Cardinale herself embraced the alterations, suggesting a nuanced perspective on the portrayal of women in media. This incident underscores the evolving perceptions of beauty, with Angelina Jolie often held as a contemporary standard.