Actors play a big part in making a show or movie hit and somehow they become the face of these projects. So, would things be any different if the iconic characters were played by someone else? We can’t even imagine anyone other than RDJ or Emma Watson for Tony Stark and Hermione Granger. However, some popular roles were almost portrayed by a different actor. By now we are so familiar with some of these classic characters that it’s impossible to imagine a different face on them. Find out 10 actors who almost landed famous movies and TV shows.
Henry Cavill
Boy! Henry Cavill and Robert Pattinson had been competing against each other since their teenage days. Given their history, we would have preferred Henry’s Superman and Pattinson’s Batman lock horns in “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice”. Both the boys had auditioned for the iconic characters, Edward Cullen in “Twilight” and Cedric Diggory in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”, and as we all know, Pattinson landed up with both of them.
Bill Murray
Did you know that the classic star from “Ghostbusters” and “Groundhog Day”, Bill Murray was considered for 1989 “Batman”? He would have been the final choice had it not been for Tim Burton. The director had already envisioned Michael Keaton as his Batman and was in no mood to concede. We can’t deny that it would have felt weird watching a comedy star portray the Dark Knight.
Robert De Niro
It’s next to impossible to choose between the A-listers, Robert De Niro and Jack Nicholson. Stanley Kubrick was put in this dilemma while making the classic spine-chiller, “The Shining”. Though Robert De Niro was his first choice for Jack Torrance, the director changed his mind later and gave us one of the scariest characters ever.
Matt Smith
Matt Smith’s career graph has been moving upwards since his “Doctor Who” days. His role as Prince Phillip in “The Crown” was another badge on his chest. After wrapping up this successful journey, Matt is now preparing for “House of the Dragon”. In between all this, the actor had also auditioned for Watson in “Sherlock”. But the casting directors shared the same apprehension as many of you must be having right now. According to them, casting Matt as Watson would have been equivalent to having two Sherlocks in one room.
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz may have retired from Hollywood but she will always be remembered as one of the most badass action heroes. It turns out that Diaz was also cast for the 1995 film, “Mortal Kombat”. Everything was finalized and she had also begun with the productions until an accident occurred on the set. The actress had to be replaced by Bridgette Wilson-Sampras after she broke her wrist during training.
Russell Crowe
The passionate and fiery-eyed Viggo Mortenson brought life into Aragorn in “The Lord of the Rings”. But there were other popular names too that had approached the studios for the coveted role. One of them was the Gladiator star, Russell Crowe. He was getting a pretty good deal for his work but backed out in the end reportedly because Peter Jackson wasn’t keen on casting him. Though Crowe would have been a good fit, fans were more than happy with how things eventually turned out for the franchise.
Patrick Stewart
Technically, Patrick did land the series but lost the role for which he was initially cast. Before starring as the iconic Captain Picard, Patrick Stewart was considered for Data. It wasn’t until his gentleman-like persona and strong dialogue delivery impressed Roddenberry that the actor got promoted to the lead role.
Freddie Mercury
Almost everyone who saw Labyrinth has had a secret crush over David Bowie and his tights. Our hearts thumped at his seductive and commanding presence every time he subjected the protagonist to a series of torture. But at first, the filmmaker thought of Freddie Mercury and many more rockstars for Jareth the Goblin King.
Ewan McGregor
The star show of Netflix, “Stranger Things” was originally supposed to run for only one season. It prompted some producers to go for only famous and renowned stars to generate attention and hype. Therefore, actors like Ewan McGregor and Sam Rockwell were some of the first choices for Jim Hopper. Thankfully they chose the right fit over popularity and cast David Harbour.
Steve Martin
Here is another bizarre example of a comedian star being considered for a serious acting role. Steve Martin was one of the final choices for the iconic “Indiana Jones”. According to reports, even Bill Murray and Chevy Chase were considered for the role. As much as we admire them, Indiana Jones wouldn’t have been the same without Harrison Ford.
