00:00 The sisterhood of the Traveling Pans cast almost looked a little different.
00:03 It may be difficult to imagine the film without America Ferreira, Alexis Bledel, Blake Lively,
00:09 and Amber Tamblyn, but there were other stars that actually came close to landing the roles of
00:14 Carmen, Lena, Bridget, and Tibby in the hit film. During a recent interview on the Hollywood Gold
00:19 podcast, veteran producer Debra Martin-Chase recalled what went into casting the 2005 film.
00:25 She said Ferreira, who played Carmen, was the first one cast and noted she was still very much
00:30 a newbie at the time. The Princess Diaries producer also revealed that they were going
00:34 to cast the O.C.'s Mischa Barton in Lively's role of Bridget and have Smallville's Kristen Crook
00:39 play Bledel's character Lena, but when production got delayed, both actresses were busy filming
00:44 their respective shows. Chase said, "They went to Alexis early on for Lena, but she initially
00:49 passed. She was still doing Gilmore Girls. She was tired and she passed. And then we kept looking."
00:54 The producer noted they went to everyone from Kaley Cuoco, Alexa Vega, and Olivia Wilde.
00:59 At that point, Amber Tamblyn, who played Tibby, was on Joan of Arcadia, so she was a big deal.
01:04 "We wanted real actors. They had to fulfill the roles. They had to embody the roles."
01:08 Chase said finding the right actress for Bridget seemed to be the most difficult,
01:12 because they needed someone who had the innocence and the athletic skills,
01:15 with no luck until Lively came in for an audition. The Cheetah Girls producer thought
01:20 Lively was perfect, but not enough experience. "She handed us her headshot and it was completely
01:25 blank. She had never worked. She had never gotten a paycheck. You know, she's from an acting family.
01:30 But despite that, the role was still hers." Elsewhere on her podcast appearance,
01:34 Chase noted that she would love to make a third Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants with
01:37 the original cast. "I think, you know, time has gone by and the audiences still very much want it.
01:42 So maybe." For more on this story, head to THR.com. And for the latest entertainment news
01:48 and updates, keep watching The Hollywood Reporter News.
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