13 Actors Who Lost Their Shot at Playing in Iconic Movies

There are several ways for actors to land a starring role in a movie. Some are chosen through auditions, while others are invited due to their popularity, as was the case with Kate Winslet after her role in Titanic. However, not all auditions result in success, and actors may decline offers made by directors or producers. Russell Crowe, for instance, turned down the opportunity to star in Lord of the Rings based on his intuition.

Kylo Ren — Eddie Redmayne

Eddie Redmayne revealed in an interview that he auditioned for the role of Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Force Awakens before it was eventually given to Adam Driver. Redmayne said he had an “embarrassing” audition for the villainous role but did enjoy it.

Jack Dawson — Christian Bale

In an attempt to be cast in the blockbuster hit Titanic, Christian Bale auditioned for the role of Jack Dawson. However, the director opted not to have two British actors play American characters in one film. As a result, the role went to Leonardo Di Caprio.

James Bond — Henry Cavill

It’s difficult to picture anyone other than Daniel Craig as Agent 007 now, but Henry Cavill was once in the running for the role. Unfortunately, he was rejected due to being “a little chubby.” Despite this setback, Cavill took the criticism in stride and worked hard to improve his physical fitness, which ultimately helped him in his future career.

Prince Caspian — Nicholas Hoult

In an interview, Nicholas Hoult revealed that his audition for the role of Prince Caspian was his most difficult one to date. During the audition, he was unexpectedly asked to perform with a Hispanic accent similar to Puss in Boots from Shrek. Although he was embarrassed, Hoult gave it his best shot. However, the role eventually went to British actor Ben Barnes, who was a better fit for the part.

Daenerys Targaryen — Elizabeth Olsen

Elizabeth Olsen, known for her role as Scarlet Witch, had an unsuccessful audition for the role of Mother of Dragons in the early days of her career. In her own words, “It was the most awkward audition I’d ever had. I was doing the Khaleesi speech when she comes out of the fire. It was awful. I didn’t get a callback.” Consequently, the iconic role of Daenerys was portrayed by Emilia Clarke.

Aragorn — Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe was once asked if he regretted turning down the role of Aragorn in the iconic Lord of the Rings trilogy. The actor responded honestly, saying he had never really thought about it, and went on to explain why he didn’t take the part. Crowe felt that director Peter Jackson already had someone else in mind for the role and declined the offer based on his intuition.

Jane Smith — Gwen Stefani

Gwen Stefani, a well-known singer, had the opportunity to star in the leading role of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. After attending several auditions, Stefani opted to focus on her music career instead. The role of Jane Smith was eventually played by the talented Angelina Jolie.

Viola De Lesseps — Kate Winslet

Several filmmakers approached Kate Winslet after her blockbuster hit, Titanic. One of the offers was for the movie Shakespeare in Love, but she declined as she was interested in working on more independent projects. The role went to Gwyneth Paltrow, who received an Academy Award for portraying the character.

Christian Grey — Charlie Hunnam

In 2013, Charlie Hunnam was slated to star in the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey, but he later withdrew from the role due to a nervous breakdown caused by his hectic schedule.

Although it was a difficult decision for him, Hunnam recognized that he couldn’t perform to the best of his abilities. He has since avoided the entire trilogy because he considers it to be “the worst professional experience” of his career.

Indiana Jones — Tom Selleck

Tom Selleck was offered the part of Indiana Jones, but he had to turn it down due to his commitment to the Magnum, P.I. television show. Even though he was excited about the opportunity, he was unable to balance both projects at the same time.

Ellie Sattler — Gwyneth Paltrow

In 1992, Gwyneth Paltrow had her sights set on the role of Dr. Ellie Sattler in the popular franchise Jurassic Park. The role would have significantly boosted the aspiring actress’s career. However, despite her efforts, Paltrow failed to secure the part and ultimately went to Laura Dern.

Patrick Bateman — Johnny Depp

In the early stages of the production of American Psycho, the filmmaker Stuart Gordon was intended to direct the movie and was convinced that Johnny Depp would be the perfect fit for the lead role. However, the author of the novel, Bret Easton Ellis, had a change of heart and revoked Gordon’s rights to the book. Additionally, he expressed his disapproval of Depp’s acting abilities and felt that the actor was too old for the role, despite Depp being only 28 years old at the time.

Alex Munday — Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie is well-known for her love of action films, but there was one project that the actress turned down despite its similarities to her preferred genre. Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz attempted to persuade Jolie to play their co-star, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

Jolie felt that she wasn’t suited to the role and later explained that she didn’t believe audiences would enjoy watching her in high heels, chasing bad guys, and flipping her hair.

Sometimes, the producers and directors have someone else in mind for a particular role. While in other instances, an actor may aspire to play a particular character but doesn’t cut the audition or selection process. Otherwise, Robin Williams could’ve played Hagrid, and Henry Cavill could’ve played Edward Cullen.