- 2 months ago
Some of the biggest roles in Hollywood almost went to completely different stars! For this countdown, we’re looking at movies that could have looked dramatically different if the original casting choices had come to pass. From superheroes and action icons to romantic leads, these casting “what-ifs” are sure to surprise even the biggest movie buffs. Which alternate casting do you wish had happened? Tell us your pick in the comments below!
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00:00You know, scheduling conflict-wise, it just, it didn't work out, but I'm so thrilled that musicals are so celebrated at the moment.
00:08Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the movies that could have looked totally different if original casting plans had gone through.
00:16Here's Johnny!
00:19Number 30, Jim Carrey as Captain Jack Sparrow.
00:23Pirates of the Caribbean, The Curse of the Black Pearl.
00:25Before he was playing God in Bruce Almighty, Jim Carrey was being eyed up for the role of the swashbuckling, chaotic, and charismatic Jack Sparrow.
00:35Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please, sir.
00:37The character was apparently written with Hugh Jackman in mind, hence the name Captain Jack Sparrow.
00:43But since Jackman wasn't yet a global household name, they wanted someone who had more pull.
00:49Carrey was a perfect choice to play a young Burt Lancaster-style pirate, but his compass was pointing elsewhere.
00:54You've had my pals for a little over a week now.
00:58How many people have you helped?
01:03You know, I took care of a few things.
01:06I righted a few wrongs in my own life first, okay?
01:09I was gonna help the others.
01:11I think I could help the world.
01:13The world.
01:14Mm-hmm.
01:14Meanwhile, Johnny Depp landed the part after producer Jerry Bruckheimer saw something special in him.
01:20Carrie was also considered for an early version of Elf, but that version never made it off the page.
01:26And that, as Bruce would say...
01:28And that's the way the cookie crumbles.
01:31Number 29.
01:32Chevy Chase as Lester Burnham.
01:34American Beauty.
01:35Honey, are you trying to look unattractive?
01:38That hurt, Ellen.
01:39It's hard to imagine anybody in this Oscar-winning role other than Kevin Spacey.
01:44At the same time, we could actually see funny man Chevy Chase slipping into the part quite comfortably.
01:52After all, Chase is no stranger to playing dysfunctional family men.
01:56Are you okay?
01:58I'm fine, honey.
02:02If Clark Griswold had a total midlife crisis and aspired to cheat on his wife with his dream woman,
02:07you'd essentially have Lester Burnham.
02:09Chase turned down the role, as he felt it would ruin his family-friendly image.
02:14Were Caddyshack and Hot Tub Time Machine really family-friendly, though?
02:18This stuff's terrible.
02:19It's good.
02:20You don't know how to do it.
02:21How do I do it?
02:22I'm going to show you.
02:23Do you mind putting that down, sir, that coal shovel, before somebody gets hurt?
02:28Number 28.
02:29Burt Reynolds as James Bond.
02:31On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
02:34I admire your luck, Mr...
02:37Bond.
02:39James Bond.
02:40When Sean Connery walked away from the James Bond series after five films, producers scrambled
02:46to find someone to fill his big, bespoke shoes.
02:49Too bad you have to go.
02:51Just as things were getting interesting.
02:54Yes.
02:54Burt Reynolds was approached, but turned the role down by saying an American couldn't play
02:59the quintessentially British secret agent.
03:02For the good old American life.
03:04For the money, for the glory, and for the fun.
03:07Mostly for the money.
03:09Producers hired unknown Australian George Lazenby instead.
03:12This never happened to the other fella.
03:14When the Aussie quit after one film, another yank was tapped.
03:18West.
03:19Adam West.
03:20Of course.
03:21How clever.
03:22But Batman declined the part for the same reason as Reynolds, allowing Connery to resume
03:27the role.
03:27You just killed James Bond.
03:33Is that who it was?
03:36Well, it just proves no one's indestructible.
03:39Number 27.
03:40Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger as Sean Archer and Caster Troy.
03:45Face Off.
03:48You get licking.
03:51You hit like a vegetarian.
03:53Throughout the 80s and 90s, Stallone and Schwarzenegger reigned as Hollywood's most kick-ass action
03:59heroes.
03:59People often wondered when these superstars were finally going to team up on screen.
04:04Unfortunately, the two wouldn't co-star together until they were old and expendable.
04:09Why don't we have dinner?
04:11Sure it went.
04:12In a thousand years.
04:14Too soon.
04:14We almost got to see Stallone and Schwarzenegger unite in their prime, however.
04:19Face Off was specially written with them in mind, and they would have been right at
04:22home in a project so over-the-top.
04:25I'm busy anyway, so give this job to my friend here.
04:28He loves playing in the jungle.
04:30This seemingly perfect casting sadly wasn't meant to be, but John Travolta and Nicolas Cage
04:35made for a fun rivalry nonetheless.
04:37Oh well.
04:39Plan B.
04:42Let's just kill each other.
04:46Number 26.
04:48Sylvester Stallone as Axel Foley.
04:51Beverly Hills Cop.
04:52How you doing?
04:54Initially, plastic surgery aficionado Mickey Rourke was attached to star in this action
04:59comedy.
05:00Wow.
05:01Who would figure, huh?
05:03But when his holding contract expired, producers asked Rocky himself.
05:07Yeah, I want to know how come.
05:09You want to know?
05:10I want to know how!
05:11Sly thought it would be a pretty good film, except for all that damn comedy.
05:15Yo, Paul, listen, maybe we just better forget all this, you know?
05:19Just forget it.
05:20Forget nothing.
05:21Go ahead.
05:22Tell her something funny.
05:23Ain't nothing to talk about.
05:24She's in a bad mood.
05:25I'm in a bad mood.
05:26You know how to do funny things.
05:27So he rewrote the script as an action flick.
05:30But this caused budget problems, since comedy, unlike action, is cheap.
05:35I don't think cost is the issue here, sir.
05:37Stallone was then allowed to leave and take his reworked script with him, allowing Eddie
05:42Murphy to step in.
05:51Oh, and Stallone's script?
05:53It's called Cobra.
05:56Number 25.
05:58Guy Pearce's Daredevil
05:59Daredevil
06:00We were optimistic that Ben Affleck will make a good Batman, despite the fact that he
06:08made for a pretty forgettable Daredevil.
06:11I don't know why you read that trash.
06:13To Affleck's credit, he wasn't given very gripping material to work with, and there aren't
06:18a ton of actors that could have brought more to this part.
06:21That being said, Guy Pearce still might have been able to inject a little more life into
06:25Matt Murdock.
06:27I have to believe that my actions still have meaning.
06:29Pearce turned the role down, but his commanding, multi-layered performances in thrillers like
06:34Memento demonstrate his ability to completely lose himself in dark, twisted roles.
06:38Take it off.
06:41At least Charlie Cox is finally doing Daredevil justice.
06:54You were right.
06:56Number 24.
06:58Sean Connery as Gandalf the Grey
07:00The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring
07:03Armed with both a beard and a happening accent, Connery has everything it takes to be a killer
07:12Gandalf.
07:12In the end, there can be only one.
07:15However, the former Bond turned down the role for a very simple reason.
07:20He didn't understand the script.
07:21We can't all be geniuses, can we?
07:23Although that move made him the only person brave enough to admit not getting the whole
07:27Hobbit thing, it was a pricey decision as the films were hugely successful and led to
07:32another trilogy.
07:34But the question is, do I need the Empire?
07:38We can't be sure if Ian McKellen gets the story, but he sure seems okay with it.
07:43There is only one Lord of the Rings, only one who will bend it to his will, and he does
07:53not share power.
07:56When Mr. and Mrs. Smith hit theaters, it became the biggest box office hit for both
08:08its leads.
08:12Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie walked away with more than just blockbuster paychecks.
08:17Still, the film could have looked very different.
08:20Nicole Kidman was originally cast as Jane Smith, but had to drop out due to a scheduling
08:25clash with the Stepford Wives.
08:27Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cate Blanchett, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Aishwarya Rai were all reportedly
08:32considered too, when Stefani even revealed that she was up for the role during a burning
08:38question segment on Ellen.
08:40Angelina beat me.
08:41Wow.
08:42Yes.
08:42That could have gone a whole different way.
08:44That could have been a different story.
08:46Talk about sliding doors.
08:48Pitt also briefly left the project, and Johnny Depp was floated as a possible replacement.
08:53However, he returned once Jolie officially signed on.
08:57What do you care if I was just a cover?
08:59I said you were just a cover.
09:03Wasn't I?
09:04Wasn't I?
09:07Number 22.
09:09John Travolta as Forrest Gump.
09:11Forrest Gump.
09:12Up all your noses, we rub our...
09:14Oh no.
09:16Travolta passed on this iconic rom-com drama despite being a top pick for the part, and
09:22despite having been in a string of duds.
09:25Everybody's got to dump on somebody, right?
09:27Of course.
09:28Sure, Pulp Fiction restored his career that same year.
09:31I seriously doubt that.
09:33But it's just one of the many classic roles the actor didn't accept.
09:37What do you make of all this?
09:38Other Travolta Passovers include American Gigolo, Chicago, and Apollo 13.
09:44Say again, please?
09:45Houston, we have a problem.
09:47As for Gump, Chevy Chase and Bill Murray also turned it down before Tom Hanks took the role.
09:52My name's Forrest Gump.
09:54People call me Forrest Gump.
09:56Weirder still is Gump author Winston Groom's pick, John Goodman.
10:00I get the feeling that this hair ain't exactly working out.
10:03Number 21.
10:05Christopher Lee as Dr. No.
10:07Dr. No.
10:07With his tall stature and commanding voice, Christopher Lee brought great presence to
10:20some of the most recognizable villains of all time.
10:23We must join with him, Gunter.
10:27From Saruman to Frankenstein's monster to lord knows how many Count Draculas.
10:31We totally could have seen Lee playing Dr. No in James Bond's initial cinematic outing.
10:38It depends, Mr. Bond, on which side of the glass you are.
10:41Author Ian Fleming, who was Lee's step-cousin, even suggested him for the role.
10:46Despite the wishes of 007's creator, the producers had already cast Joseph Wiseman.
10:52A handicap is what you make of it.
10:54Matters worked out pretty well regardless, since Dr. No would go on to become Wiseman's
10:58most iconic character, and Lee would eventually appear in a Bond movie, too.
11:03Six bullets to your one.
11:06I only need one.
11:07Number 20.
11:08Jennifer Lawrence as Bella Swan.
11:10Twilight.
11:12So you're here to make me look pretty.
11:13You're beautiful.
11:15Before she became a Hollywood A-lister, Jennifer Lawrence had to endure plenty of rejection.
11:21Help me.
11:23Ain't nobody said that idea yet, have I?
11:25Perhaps the most notable part that she didn't get was Bella Swan in Twilight.
11:30The role instead went to Kristen Stewart, who, for what it's worth, did a spectacular
11:34job at capturing Bella's bleak, blank, land emptiness.
11:38It's complicated.
11:40While it would have been a huge role for Lawrence, she fortunately got to play a much stronger
11:44and more compelling young adult protagonist a couple of years later.
11:48I volunteer!
11:50I volunteer!
11:51I volunteer as tribute!
11:54Still, imagine what it would have been like if J-Law had pierced Edward Cullen's heart
11:59with an arrow.
11:59Figuratively, that is.
12:04For your consideration.
12:06Number 19.
12:07Harrison Ford as Oscar Schindler.
12:09Schindler's List.
12:10Indiana Jones and Oscar Schindler have a lot in common if you think about it.
12:15Both were heroes, and both were at the center of films by Steven Spielberg.
12:19Because of this, Harrison Ford seemed like a natural choice to play Schindler.
12:24Nazis.
12:25I hate these guys.
12:27At the same time, though, it admittedly would have been hard to picture Ford here without
12:31expecting him to break out a whip.
12:33Given the importance of the role, Ford respectfully turned it down.
12:37So Spielberg turned to Liam Neeson, who did an impeccable job at portraying the man who
12:42saved 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust.
12:44I could have got more.
12:50I could have got more.
12:52Number 18.
12:53Gwyneth Paltrow as Rose DeWitt Bucator.
12:56Titanic.
12:57As the story goes, Kate Winslet fought hard to be considered for the role, keeping herself
13:02on James Cameron's radar, with daily letters, a phone call, and even sending him a single
13:08rose while insisting she is the character.
13:11And all the while, I feel I'm standing in the middle of a crowded room, screaming at
13:16the top of my lungs, and no one even looks up.
13:19Cameron, meanwhile, had his eye on more established stars, like Claire Danes and Gwyneth Paltrow.
13:25Danes had just wrapped Romeo plus Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio, and felt that the timing
13:30wasn't right.
13:31In a 1998 interview, Paltrow revealed she'd had great expectations for some scripts that
13:37came her way, while this one has a ship.
13:40Okay, fine, but you meet me there.
13:411115 North Ocean.
13:43Alright, sure.
13:45And wear your dinner jacket.
13:46When you put it like that, you can kind of understand why, much like Rose, she did let
13:51go.
13:52Never let go.
13:56I will never let go, Jack.
14:01I'll never let go.
14:03Number 17.
14:04Christopher Walken as Han Solo.
14:06Star Wars Episode 4, A New Hope.
14:09I am you, and you are me, and we are here.
14:17Walken was a leading contender for this iconic role.
14:20Awful.
14:21Terrible.
14:23As were Nick Nolte and Al Pacino.
14:25That's a true story.
14:28Also considered at various points were Burt Reynolds, Richard Dreyfuss, James Caan, Sylvester
14:33Stallone, Kurt Russell, James Woods, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Steve Martin, and anyone
14:38who wasn't Harrison Ford.
14:40Alright, kid.
14:41You better be right about this.
14:42George Lucas had previously used and liked Ford in American Graffiti, but wanted new faces
14:48for his space opera.
14:49Hey, hey, hey, baby.
14:51What do you say?
14:52Although Lucas denied Ford an audition, he did hire him to read Solo's part during audition
14:58sessions before giving in and just casting him.
15:01Han Solo.
15:02I'm Captain of the Millennium Falcon.
15:05Number 16.
15:06Christina Applegate as Elle Woods.
15:08Legally Blonde.
15:09We can't imagine anyone else playing Elle Woods other than Reese Witherspoon, and it seems
15:14Christina Applegate would agree.
15:16Oh my gosh.
15:17You guys are so sweet.
15:20That doesn't mean she's not totally sorry about turning it down, although her choice words
15:26were far more colorful.
15:27At the time, she was just a few years out of having played Kelly Bundy on Married With Children,
15:32and after having read the Legally Blonde script, just felt that the roles were too alike.
15:37However, during an appearance on Watch What Happens, she admitted that she actually doesn't
15:42regret saying no because ultimately the role went to the right person.
15:46No, I don't regret it because Reese Witherspoon did a much better job than I ever could,
15:51and she has now way more money than I do and way more success, and so why would I even regret that?
15:59Applegate still went on to build a whole successful career, so it wasn't a total bonehead move.
16:04I've waited so long to hear you say that.
16:09But if I'm going to be a partner in a law firm by the time I'm 30, I need a boyfriend who's not such a complete bonehead.
16:14Number 15. Johnny Depp as Jonathan Harker
16:18Bram Stoker's Dracula
16:20Yeah, she was in great pain. Then we cut off her head and drove a stick to her heart.
16:24Precisely so. Why was the head removed?
16:27Why?
16:27Right.
16:28While Francis Ford Coppola delivered one of the best adaptations of Bram Stoker's classic horror novel,
16:34most people would agree that Keanu Reeves' performance was the film's weakest link.
16:39I know where the bastard sleeps.
16:41With Johnny Depp's incredible acting range and charisma,
16:45Jonathan Harker could have really risen to life.
16:48Welcome to the grave.
16:49I will have vengeance.
16:52Given his other roles in the horror genre,
16:54Okay?
16:57Okay.
16:58It's actually rather surprising that Depp didn't leap at the chance to star in a movie such as this.
17:04Maybe Harker was just too straightforward of a character for Depp in a film full of more eccentric personalities.
17:11Number 14. Charlie Hunnam as Christian Grey
17:14Fifty Shades of Grey
17:15You might remember when the Sons of Anarchy star was attached to this provocative flick.
17:21Looks great.
17:23How much?
17:25Don't forget it's a gift.
17:29No, Josh, I don't remember.
17:31Hey, I'm the one getting the deal.
17:33You may also remember when he unexpectedly dropped out, clearing the way for Jamie Dornan to take over.
17:40His exit ignited the rumor mill.
17:42Was it discomfort with the raunchier scenes or fan backlash?
17:45He later explained that, actually, it was a busy schedule and personal struggles, including the loss of his father.
17:52Though devastated to leave the role, it was the right choice in the moment.
17:56With work, I'm very labored and take a long time and it creates a lot of anxiety making these big decisions.
18:02But once I've made the decision, I'm very disciplined about never looking back.
18:07In another life, he could have starred alongside the mother of dragons herself, Amelia Clark, as his Anastasia.
18:12However, she opted out, worried about being seen as the actress who always shows her birthday suit.
18:24When casting a music legend like Elvis Presley, you want someone with the whole package and the ability to disappear into the role.
18:36That's a tall order when your frontrunner is already a global superstar.
18:54According to Elvis director Baz Luhrmann, Harry Styles was very much in the mix and eager to step into the king's blue suede shoes.
19:02Luhrmann had nothing but high praise for Styles, but admitted it'd be hard for audiences to see past Harry as, well, Harry.
19:10The real issue with Harry is, he's Harry Styles.
19:13He's already an icon.
19:14Then the right actor practically fell into his lap.
19:17He got a tape of Austin Butler singing Unchained Melody, followed by a glowing endorsement from Denzel Washington.
19:23Because it was an extraordinary tape of a young man in a bathrobe, playing Unchained Melody, which is a giant sing, and weeping, but not acting.
19:33It wasn't acting weeping.
19:34And I just, I was like, what is this?
19:37Just like that, Luhrmann had found his Elvis.
19:40Thank you very much.
19:47This flick's about to get real.
19:54Whoa.
19:55Real Jiggy.
19:59Yes, before Keanu Reeves woed his way into The Matrix, the Fresh Prince himself was offered the lead in this mindbender.
20:07It is amazing. You certainly have grown, Will.
20:09Well, we all have.
20:10Smith has no regrets about passing on Neo, citing Reeves' bullet-time awesomeness in the film.
20:19Gotta stick to what we each do best.
20:21While there are rumors that Ewan McGregor also turned down the iconic role, he denies this, speculating if there were truth to the rumor, it'd be his agent's fault.
20:31Wait a minute. How did this happen? We're smarter than this.
20:35His agent, Faley McBalldropper, was not available for comment.
20:39I have failed you, Anakin. I have failed you.
20:44Number 11. Emily Blunt as Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow.
20:48Iron Man 2.
20:50Emily Charlton might have sold her soul to be Miranda Priestly's right hand, and it sounds like Emily Blunt might have done the same to secure a spot in the movie.
20:58You don't understand. If you get fired, that might jeopardize Paris for me, and if that happens, I will search every blimpies in the tri-state area until I track you there.
21:06She's gonna fire me?
21:07Okay, not literally, but as she told Howard Stern, she was gutted to have to turn down the role of Black Widow.
21:14Blunt was contractually tied to Gulliver's travels at the time, leaving her no choice.
21:19At some point, I think it just became evident that I needed to get rid of this optional picture deal because it was gonna just hang over me for a long time, and I didn't want that.
21:29And ultimately, as hard as it was, I don't think anyone expected for the hand to be forced. I think you kind of like hope that it isn't.
21:38Marvel clearly wanted her, reportedly considering her for Captain Marvel, Peggy Carter, and Sue Storm.
21:45Ever the pro, she tried to make the best of an unideal situation, but still calls it heartbreaking.
21:51But it irked my heart for it to have happened in the first place, but I ended up trying to, I will always try and make the best of any situation, for sure.
22:01The role, of course, went to Scarlett Johansson, who now happens to be the highest-grossing actor in Hollywood.
22:10Back in 2016, it was announced that Amy Schumer would be stepping into the Barbie world.
22:17She eventually dropped out, reportedly due to scheduling conflict, but later revealed the real reason.
22:23Life in Plastic wasn't exactly fantastic.
22:26But, you know, there's, like, a new team behind it, and it looks like it's, like, very feminist and cool, so I will be seeing that movie.
22:32Was it that it didn't feel feminist and cool when you were involved in it?
22:36It was a little, yes!
22:37Schumer wanted her Barbie to be an inventor.
22:40What she didn't expect was for Barbie's big invention to be a shoe made of jello.
22:45She and the studio also didn't see eye-to-eye on her fish-out-of-water story, so they parted ways.
22:51Ultimately, Greta Gerwig stepped in to give us a fresh Barbie story,
22:55which was played to perfection by Margot Robbie.
22:58This is the best day ever.
22:59It is the best day ever, and so is yesterday, and so is tomorrow, and so is the day after tomorrow,
23:04and even Wednesdays, and every day from now until forever.
23:06No!
23:08Do you guys ever think about dying?
23:11Still, we can't help wondering what the Anne Hathaway version might have looked like.
23:15That much energy, that much anticipation, that much emotion, but it's not the right version.
23:21Right.
23:23So, I actually think of it as a lucky thing.
23:26Number 9. OJ Simpson as the Terminator.
23:29The Terminator.
23:32I'll be back.
23:33Along with eventual futuristic cyborg Arnold Schwarzenegger, OJ Simpson was a studio top pick for the title role in The Terminator.
23:41All I know is never bet on the white guy.
23:43Simpsons' sweet dreams of robot stardom were dashed by director James Cameron,
23:50who felt the former running back was just too darn nice to play a cold-blooded killer.
23:55Police! Throw down your guns!
23:58Juice was then best known for his football days and the occasional TV commercial.
24:02I think it's time for a tree sweet break.
24:04It would be many years before the shocking event that made him a household name,
24:09his supporting role in the Naked Gun series.
24:11Hiya, buddy.
24:12Hey!
24:13Doc says I should be on my dean and it's good as new in a week.
24:15Number 8. Blake Lively as Karen Smith.
24:18Mean Girls.
24:19Lively is no stranger to teen drama and has had plenty of mean girl exposure.
24:25You wouldn't take this from me.
24:26Because if you do, I swear I will take you down.
24:34I'm not taking anything from you, Blair.
24:35I was invited.
24:36And as for taking me down, I'd love to see you try.
24:39So really, moving some of her Gossip Girl qualities over to North Shore
24:43and adding a splash more pink to her closet wasn't that far of a stretch.
24:47As Amanda Seyfried recalled,
24:49when she first flew out to L.A. to audition for Mean Girls,
24:52she was actually reading for the part of Queen Bee Regina George,
24:56while Lively was there for Karen.
24:58But Blake, I didn't know,
25:00but I just remember thinking she was so gorgeous.
25:04And I was like, she's the perfect Karen.
25:07Because I was Regina in the room, so.
25:09But, you know, things happen.
25:11Apparently, Lively came quite close to securing the role,
25:14but she simply hadn't won over the powers that be.
25:17It was reportedly Lorne Michaels who suggested Seyfried for Karen instead.
25:21He must have had a fifth sense or something.
25:24I'm kind of psychic.
25:26I have a fifth sense.
25:29What do you mean?
25:30It's like I have ESPN or something.
25:32Number 7, Dustin Hoffman as John Rambo.
25:35First Blood.
25:36Don't push it or I'll give you a war you won't believe.
25:40It's not what me is called fun.
25:42Dustin Hoffman is a phenomenal actor,
25:45although he's not exactly the first name that comes to mind
25:48when we think of action stars.
25:49Because of this, you may be shocked to learn
25:52that Hoffman was offered a chance to play
25:54one of the most famous action heroes of all time,
25:57John Rambo.
25:58Hoffman rejected the role, however,
26:00as he felt it was too violent.
26:02He actually declined to play Travis Biglin taxi driver
26:05for the same reason.
26:06Perhaps Hoffman's talents were better suited elsewhere anyway.
26:10I think maybe you should have him over
26:11and I'll give him a little tap dance, you know.
26:14Huh?
26:15But wouldn't it have been cool to see him with a machine gun?
26:18Number 6, Nicolas Cage as Superman.
26:21Superman lives.
26:22Not produced.
26:23Now look.
26:25The post.
26:25It flies.
26:26The news.
26:27Look, Ma, no wires.
26:29The Times.
26:29Blue Bomb buzzes Metropolis.
26:31The planet.
26:32We're sitting on top of the story of the century here.
26:35There was a lot of buzz around this Kevin Smith penned script in 1996.
26:43Buzz.
26:44Things started off well with beefy pay-or-play contacts
26:47issued for both director Tim Burton and Nick Cage
26:50as the would-be Clark Kent.
26:52Good move.
26:53Ass.
26:53Kick.
26:54Let's keep it that way.
26:56Kevin Spacey, meanwhile, was tapped to play Lex Luthor.
26:59Lex Luthor?
27:03Lois Lane?
27:05Get bald.
27:12And Tim Allen and Jim Carrey were each in the running for Brainiac.
27:17I'm sucking up your IQ.
27:20Vacuuming the cortex.
27:22Feeding off your brain.
27:24A 1998 release date was set to tie in with Soup's 60th anniversary.
27:29But by April of that year, production was halted after $30 million was spent on the non-film.
27:35You know I'm not going to stop.
27:38Number 5.
27:39Eric Staltz's Marty McFly, Back to the Future.
27:42No McFly ever amounted to anything in the history of Hill Valley.
27:48Yeah, well, history is going to change.
27:51Unlike most alternate casting choices in our list,
27:54Staltz actually spent several weeks filming Back to the Future.
27:57However, a month into production, director Robert Zemeckis and Staltz himself decided the actor wasn't quite right for the part.
28:05And producers finally secured their first pick, Michael J. Fox.
28:08Fox then had to balance night shooting of the film with daytime shooting of his sitcom Family Ties.
28:23However, a tiny smidgen of Staltz's McFly does remain in the film.
28:28He drives the DeLorean away from the Libyans.
28:30Yeah, we can't tell if it's him either.
28:32I ain't never done it before either, alright? I ain't starting now.
28:38The Notebook.
28:39In her memoir, The Woman and Me, Brittany shared that she almost starred in this beloved romantic drama.
28:45I couldn't bear the thought of you dealing with somebody else or...
28:51I wasn't ever seeing each other again, so...
28:53I gotta go, okay?
28:55Believe it or not, she could have been starring opposite George Clooney.
28:59We were going to do The Notebook together.
29:01Basically, I was going to play him as a young man, and it was funny.
29:04We met and said, this is it.
29:06It's going to be great.
29:07He's one of the handsomest guys you've ever seen.
29:09We met up again, and I said, I can't play you.
29:12I don't look anything like you.
29:13She said that the role of Allie came down to her and Rachel McAdams.
29:17Yet after Clooney dropped out and Ryan Gosling stepped in, the Mouseketeer reunion never happened.
29:23Still, Brittany says she's actually glad she didn't get the part.
29:27After filming Crossroads, she realized she had a tendency to get a little too lost in her characters.
29:33So instead, she got lost in the zone, channeling her energy into her fourth studio album,
29:39and giving us hits like Toxic, Every Time, and Me Against the Music.
29:43All I guess is we could try to take on the music.
29:45It's like a competition.
29:46Me, I guess I'd be, I want to get in the zone, in the zone, in the zone, in the zone, in the zone.
29:51Number 3, Tom Cruise's Iron Man, Iron Man.
29:56I got him locked.
29:58Bingo.
29:59Robert Downey Jr. rejuvenated his career with Iron Man, and it's now impossible to picture any other actor in the role.
30:12You've been called the Da Vinci of our time.
30:14What do you say to that?
30:15Absolutely ridiculous.
30:16I don't paint.
30:16Just for a second, though, try to picture that guy who jumped on Oprah's couch as Tony Stark.
30:21Maybe I'd be a little more appealing if I got arrested with a hooker doing a suitcase full of blow in Vegas.
30:26An Iron Man picture had been in development for years, and Tom Cruise was the studio's top pick.
30:36I gotta give you your dream shot.
30:38Director Jon Favreau really turned the project around, however, taking a chance on a struggling actor.
30:44I'm just not the hero type, clearly, with this laundry list of character defects, all the mistakes I made, largely public.
30:53Ironically, Cruise and Downey's paths would collide that same year when they co-starred in Tropic Thunder.
30:59The universe is talking to us right now.
31:03You just gotta listen.
31:07Number 2.
31:08Robin Williams as Jack Torrance.
31:10The Shining.
31:12I didn't mean to kill her, Will.
31:13You know that, don't you?
31:14Anything you say, Lloyd.
31:16In the early 80s, Robin Williams was primarily viewed as a comedic performer.
31:22A formal introduction is at hand.
31:24Ba-dee, ba-dee.
31:26Get down.
31:29Mainstream audiences could see him playing a crazy character, but not necessarily a scary crazy character.
31:36Okay.
31:37Let's talk.
31:38Let's talk.
31:39Let's talk.
31:39Let's talk.
31:46What do you want to talk about?
31:51Nevertheless, Stanley Kubrick thought Williams had potential to be Jack Torrance.
31:55Hey, Lou!
31:57Ah!
31:58Although the director ultimately decided he was too psychotic for the role.
32:03This will not look good on a resume!
32:06The part thus went to Jack Nicholson, who's familiar with playing crazy as well.
32:10Darling, light of my life.
32:13I'm not going to hurt you.
32:15You didn't let me finish my sentence.
32:17I said, I'm not going to hurt you.
32:20I'm just going to bash your brains.
32:22Upon starring in One Hour Photo and Insomnia years later,
32:26You and I share a secret.
32:29We know how easy it is to kill somebody.
32:32Williams demonstrated just how spine-chilling and genuinely menacing he could have been in The Shining.
32:39Have you read any of my books?
32:40I'm not being grouchy.
32:44I just want to finish my work.
32:46Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
32:51Leonardo DiCaprio as Patrick Bateman, American Psycho.
32:55Writer-director Mary Herron was blindsided by the studio's pick.
32:59Then DiCaprio left for the beach, clearing way for bail.
33:02Most people probably don't listen to the lyrics, but they should.
33:06Because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity and the importance of friends.
33:10It's also a personal statement about the band itself.
33:13Chris Farley as Shrek.
33:15Shrek.
33:16Sadly, Farley passed away before completing all his lines.
33:20Their reports say most had already been recorded.
33:23I don't have time to set it to music.
33:27Oh, this is another one of those onion things.
33:30No, this is one of those drop it and leave me alone things.
33:35Ben Affleck as Josh Lucas.
33:37Clueless.
33:38Totally bugging at the idea of a rudless film.
33:40But casting director Cary Fraser thought Affleck would be fabulous for it.
33:46That's not true.
33:48He's not?
33:50No.
33:52Are you saying you care about me?
33:57Josh.
34:00Renee Zellweger as Jenna Rank.
34:0213 going on 30.
34:04Before Gary Winnick was attached to the movie,
34:06Zellweger was up for the role of the 13-year-old 30-year-old.
34:10I'm 13.
34:12Jenna, if you're going to start lying about your age, I'd go to 27.
34:15Wait, no, I know it sounds strange, but like some really weird dream is like that.
34:18Did you hear it?
34:19Did you hear that?
34:21Andrew Garfield as Prince Caspian.
34:23The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian.
34:26The actor shared that he wanted the role so badly,
34:29but was told he wasn't handsome enough.
34:31Ben Barnes, I'll get you.
34:33Um, no, I really just wanted that part.
34:36I think the feedback was, oh, he's not handsome enough.
34:39About you?
34:40Yeah.
34:40What can you do?
34:41Hey, I'm not handsome enough Prince Caspian.
34:43Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel
34:46and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
34:49You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
34:53If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
34:59Number 1.
35:00Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark.
35:04Huh.
35:05See you tomorrow, Indiana Jones.
35:12As with Star Wars, George Lucas was hesitant to reuse Harrison Ford
35:17and opted for the somewhat fresher face of Tom Selleck.
35:20That's crazy.
35:22Although Selleck was interested and even screen tested for the role,
35:27he couldn't accept it due to his commitment to the then-unaired Magnum P.I.
35:31I heard you're playing like a detective.
35:34Investigator.
35:34Ski private investigator.
35:36Lucas buckled again and cast Ford just three weeks before production began.
35:41You're not the man I knew ten years ago.
35:44It's not the years, honey.
35:46It's the mileage.
35:48Ironically, Selleck could have accepted both parts
35:51had he have known Magnum would be delayed for over six months because of a writer's strike.
35:56Sometimes everything goes exactly as planned.
36:01Sometimes it doesn't.
36:03Would you have wanted to see any of these actors in their Almost movies?
36:07Let us know in the comments.
36:08Let us know in the comments.
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