Nowadays, we simply can’t imagine Tony Stark being played by anyone other than Robert Downey Jr. The strongest, most memorable characters end up being virtually indistinguishable from the individuals that played them. For example — thanks to Twilight, Robert Pattinson will always be remembered as the pale, sparkling vampire. But, before these actors were chosen for these iconic roles, there were other people who were being considered. To answer the “what if” of other actors being chosen, we’ve assembled a list of actors who were supposed to play famous roles, but lost the opportunity to someone else.
Will Smith as Neo, The Matrix
The Matrix altered how viewers perceived fast-paced action scenes supported by incredible special effects. Keanu Reeves became an overnight sensation and a popular brand because of the Hollywood sci-fi action movie. But, did you know that the casting team didn’t start with Keanu Reeves for the part of Neo? Neo was first offered to none other than Men in Black star, Will Smith.
The Pursuit of Happiness actor revealed some new information regarding his decision to pass on playing Neo in the groundbreaking film in one of his “Story Time” segment videos. Will Smith begins the video by discussing his reservations about appearing in “Alien-Movies.” Smith thought that the action movie’s premise was unclear.
Tim Roth as Severus Snape, Harry Potter
Tim Roth is known for his roles in Planet of the Apes and The Reservoir Dogs. The actor declined the role of Severus Snape because he knew it would mean a long-term commitment, which he thought he couldn’t make at the time. In his self-explanatory remarks on There’s Something About Movies, he explained, “I thought, ‘OK, that’s interesting. I’ll be on every backpack or whatever it is,’ and then I said. I’ll be recognized for that part.”
He was undoubtedly correct, as most of the performers that played characters in the Harry Potter franchise have remained connected to the movies ever since. Roth claims his children are still critical of him for turning down the role.
Gwyneth Paltrow as Rose DeWitt Bukater, Titanic
Gwyneth Paltrow was almost cast as Rose. But, in the end, it was Kate Winslet that was made a sensation, thanks to the affluent traveler who fell in love with Leonardo DiCaprio’s suave Jack on the tragic voyage.
Paltrow shared, “I guess the rumor is that I declined it. I believe I was seriously in the running for it; I was among the last two.” Paltrow isn’t angry, though. ‘I ask myself, “Why the heck did I agree to that?’ as I reflect on my decisions. And reject that? This is a global lesson to be learned, which you realize as you consider the broad picture.”
John Travolta as Forrest Gump
John Travolta saw a string of critical and box office flops in the 1980s; it wasn’t until 1989’s Look Who’s Talking that he appeared in a movie as popular as Grease. When the part of Forrest Gump was offered to Travolta, he chose to decline it in favor of another endeavor.
“If I didn’t do whatever Tom Hanks did, then I did another job that was equally exciting or entertaining, But I feel good about those I gave up because other careers were formed,” Travolta said. The job that was equally exciting was, of course, his iconic role in Pulp Fiction.
Sean Connery as Gandalf, Lord of the Rings
Sean Connery performed in many notable roles, but he also declined a number of now-famous roles. In Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, Connery declined to take on the role of Gandalf. Nevertheless, the fantasy series’ creators were so keen to get Connery that they offered him more than $30 million plus 15% of the profits.
Connery admitted that he didn’t get the Lord of the Rings series when he talked about it years later. “I finished the book. I went over the script. I watched the film. I’m still unsure of it”. According to the New Zealand Herald, he remarked, “Ian McKellen, I think, is magnificent in it.”
Ian McKellen as Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter
After the passing of the original Dumbledore, Richard Harris, in 2002, Ian McKellen revealed the real reason he declined the part of Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series in a recent interview with the BBC’s HARDtalk. McKellen reveals that Harris didn’t like him to the point where he made his choice.
Producers of Harry Potter contacted the Oscar-nominated actor after Harris passed away, but the actor could not accept the part due to Harris’s prior criticism of him. McKellen stated, “I couldn’t take over the character from an actor who I had known didn’t approve of me.”
Tom Cruise as Tony Stark, Iron Man
Regarding when Tom Cruise was first contacted to play Iron Man and the reasons he turned down the role, he clarified, “Marvel Studios approached me at a specific moment, and when I do something, I want to do it well. If I commit to something, it must be done in a way that I am confident it will be exceptional. And as everything was set up, I had a distinct impression that it wouldn’t work.”
In a different interview, Cruise acknowledged that he thought Robert Downey Jr. was ideal for the character of Tony Stark. He stated: “I adore Robert Downey Jr. I think he is the ideal fit for that character; I can’t picture anyone else in it.” We can’t either!
Zoey Deutch as Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games
Zoey Deutch tried out for Katniss Everdeen before Jennifer Lawrence was cast as the character in The Hunger Games. “I tried out for Katniss but figured I didn’t get it since he said, ‘Why don’t you read this other part?’ during the screen test,” she shared.
Although Zoey called the loss of the Katniss persona a “difficult one,” it isn’t the only thing she has adored and lost. “At one of these award ceremonies, I presented the Best Limited Series award, and every single nominee was one for which I had tried out but been unsuccessful,” Zoey said.
Robbin Williams as Rubeus Hagrid, Harry Potter
Without a doubt, Robin Williams had the star power and versatility to play any role, but when it came to playing Hagrid, director Chris Columbus had to pass. The cause? According to casting director Janet Hirshenson, “It was a British-only decree, and once Columbus politely declined Robin, he wasn’t going to say yes to anyone else. That’s for sure.”
In a 2001 interview, Williams was reported to have referred to the role of Hagrid when discussing parts he desired but didn’t receive. According to him, “there were several roles I would have desired to play, but there was a restriction on [adding] American performers.”
Jim Carrey as Edward Scissorhands
Along with Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr., Jim Carrey was a candidate for the lead role in Edward Scissorhands. Unfortunately for him, it seems that the director felt that Jim Carrey lacked prior ‘serious’ acting experience at that time.
His portrayal of Scissorhands would have unintentionally been more humorous than Depp’s, which might not have been suitable for the plot. Tom Cruise ultimately won the starring part of Edward over Carrey, but the decision was changed later on.
Russell Crowe as Aragorn, Lord of the Rings
Viggo Mortensen wasn’t the original choice for the role of Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, even though we can’t envision anybody else playing the character. Russell Crowe was reportedly offered a staggering sum of money to portray the future King of Gondor, but he turned it down.
As a fellow New Zealander, he notes that he could sense from Peter Jackson’s voice that the director didn’t seem enthusiastic about him playing the part, which is why he ultimately decided against taking the role of Aragorn.
Eddie Redmayne as Peter Quill, Guardians of the Galaxy
Eddie Redmayne came in second place to play Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy. Although he has tried out for many comic book movies, he has yet to appear in any of them. He put in screen tests for the roles of Doctor Doom in Fantastic Four, Harry Osborn in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Magneto in X-Men: First Class.
Redmayne hasn’t had too hard a time finding employment despite not getting any of the comic book parts he’d been hoping to be cast in. He currently plays the lead role in Fantastic Beasts, Harry Potter’s spin-off series.
Al Pacino as Han Solo, Star Wars
Since Al Pacino was unfamiliar with the workings of George Lucas’ cosmic realm, he refused Star Wars. In contrast to the grim, realistic dramas in which Pacino was then acting, this science fiction epic’s bizarre animals, outfits, and character names were a universe apart.
Pacino claims that when he first read the script, he “failed to get it. I have no idea why I would do it.” The character of Han Solo “was mine for the taking, but I didn’t grasp the script.” Instead, Pacino did star in the critically acclaimed romance Bobby Deerfield, and the well-received courtroom drama And Justice For All, for which he received an Oscar nomination.
Tamzin Merchant as Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones
Tamzin Merchant, the actress from Carnival Row, was first chosen to play Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. She even had Daenerys’s role in the program’s original pilot before D.B. Weiss and David Benioff changed their minds. However, Emilia Clarke ultimately took on the role of the Mother of Dragons.
Casting director Nina Gold hinted subtly to Vanity Fair in July 2017 that Merchant had to be replaced. “It was a difficult choice. It’s difficult, but ultimately you have to get it right,” she remarked.
Matthew McConaughey as Jack Dawson, Titanic
You might be astonished by some of the actors who were almost placed in recognizable roles. For instance, people already know that Matthew McConaughey tried out for the Titanic role of Jack. He obviously didn’t get it, and we were fortunate to have the wonderful Leonardo DiCaprio play Jack.
A recent episode of the podcast Literally! with Rob Lowe featured Matthew McConaughey. There he shared that the claims that he turned down the role of Jack are unfounded. According to him, he didn’t just accept the role; he missed out on it just when he was sure he had won it.
Ryan Gosling as Dr. Stephen Strange, Doctor Strange
Although many other actors could have possibly played Doctor Strange, Benedict Cumberbatch does an incredible job in the role. Director Scott Derrickson met with several possible leading males after Cumberbatch had to turn down his first opportunity to star in Doctor Strange owing to schedule issues.
After Joaquin Phoenix declined the role, Ryan Gosling met with representatives from Marvel Studios. He suggested that he’d also love to play the Flash in Justice League in an interview with ScreenCrave that year to promote Gangster Squad. He eventually wasn’t cast in either role.