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Some actors don't just play a role – they completely transform it! Join us as we explore the boldest casting decisions that reimagined beloved characters and changed our perspective on their stories. From Cynthia Erivo's groundbreaking Elphaba to Robert Downey Jr.'s career-defining Iron Man, these performers didn't just fill shoes – they created entirely new footprints.
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00:00Maybe some of us are just different.
00:03Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're exploring the boldest casting decisions that completely changed the perspective of certain narratives.
00:11For your information, there's a lot more to ogres than people think.
00:15Example?
00:17Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, Wuthering Heights.
00:20Cousin.
00:24Heathcliff.
00:27Whether you see him as a tortured soul, a brooding love interest, or a vengeful ex,
00:32the fact of the matter is, Emily Bronte's work hinges almost solely on the portrayal of Heathcliff.
00:38For instance, the book specifically describes him as, quote, dark-skinned,
00:42a detail that illuminates much of his and Catherine's complicated romance.
00:46Heathcliff.
00:48You're not enough.
00:50Not for her.
00:51As a result, many fans were disappointed when Emerald Fennell's adaptation cast Jacob Elordi.
00:57He certainly has the chops, but being a conventionally attractive white man fundamentally shifts the dynamic between his and Margot
01:04Robbie's characters.
01:05What's one thing you admire about Margot Robbie?
01:07Probably just how specific she is with the films that she makes and her heart.
01:14She has a good heart?
01:15Yeah, big one.
01:16For better or for worse, Elordi's Heathcliff will be something entirely different.
01:20Is this going to make our heads spin?
01:22Your take on Wuthering Heights?
01:23Emerald Fennell doesn't do a normal Wuthering Heights.
01:26What am I in for?
01:27I think it's going to obliterate your heart.
01:31I think it's going to, I, I, I, I, it's such a, it's such a painful love story.
01:37Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow.
01:39Pirates of the Caribbean, The Curse of the Black Pearl.
01:42Apparently there's some sort of high-toned and fancy to-do up at the fort, eh?
01:46How could it be that two upstanding gentlemen such as yourselves did not merit an invitation?
01:52There's no parlay in Hollywood, especially when you cast a firecracker like Johnny Depp.
01:56From the inception, Jack Sparrow was conceived as a cocky, laid-back pirate,
02:01with scene-stealers like Michael Keaton and Christopher Walken considered for the role.
02:05But then, Depp showed up, and surprised everyone with a hilariously off-kilter interpretation of the character.
02:11Son. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. He's heavy.
02:17Disney was miffed. In fact, they thought Depp was sinking the whole film before their eyes.
02:22But Depp stuck to his guns, and turned in a career-defining performance that sailed him all the way to
02:27an Oscar nomination.
02:29Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?
02:32Do us a favor. I know it's difficult for you.
02:35But please, stay here, and try not to do anything else.
02:39Stupid.
02:40What can we say? Sparrow is unlike any pirate we've ever heard of.
02:44But we have, indeed, heard of him.
02:47Who are you?
02:49No one. He's no one.
02:50A distant cousin of my aunt's nephew.
02:54Lovely singing voice, though.
02:55Unique.
02:56Matthew McConaughey as Palmer Joss.
02:58Contact.
02:59You're a priest?
03:03No, not really.
03:04I, uh, got my master's in divinity.
03:08Then I dropped out of seminary and went off and did some secular humanitarian work, coordinating efforts with third world
03:13churches.
03:15Couldn't live with the whole celibus of me.
03:16As with most book-to-movie adaptations, this big-screen version of Carl Sagan's sci-fi novel makes some very
03:22notable deviations, particularly in regard to the character of Palmer Joss.
03:26You look beautiful, Ellie.
03:30So do you.
03:31You really do.
03:36I read your book.
03:38Here we go.
03:40In the book, he's a preacher who serves as a religious foil to Ellie's scientific perspective.
03:45While he retains part of that role in the film, by casting Matthew McConaughey, Joss came off as a more
03:51sympathetic character, one who might even make Ellie swoon a little bit.
03:54I think what Mr. Joss is, in fact, asking.
03:57Do you believe in God?
04:01Dr. Arroway.
04:02The heartthrob factor aside, McConaughey's natural charm turned Joss from a walking moral lesson into a complex, likable character, a
04:10decision that elevated Contact's entire story.
04:15Because I don't want to lose you when you find your way home, all right?
04:23Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor.
04:25Doctor Who.
04:26Can I have your name, please?
04:27When I can remember it.
04:28You don't know your own name?
04:29Of course I know it.
04:30I just can't remember it.
04:31It's right there on the tip of my...
04:34What's that?
04:36Tongue?
04:37Tongue!
04:38After 12 reincarnations, the powers that be finally asked,
04:42Why couldn't the Doctor be a woman?
04:44Enter Jodie Whittaker, who graciously stepped up as the series' first female lead, and handled it with aplomb.
04:51How did we get them?
04:52Never mind that, are they going to go off?
04:53Quiet, I'm trying to think.
04:55It's difficult.
04:57Not yet who I am.
05:00Brain and body still rebooting.
05:03Reformatting.
05:05Oh, reformatting!
05:07The 13th Doctor is most defined, not by her gender, but by her unwavering sense of adventure.
05:12Her softer approach to conflicts helped rebuild the earnest spirit that had kept Doctor Who alive for generations.
05:18Both literally, and in the show's universe.
05:21Two aliens, one city, one night?
05:24Best guess?
05:25Two species of war, using Earth as a battleground.
05:28Are you joking?
05:30No.
05:30However, the Doctor wasn't immune to sexism, either.
05:33Whittaker's casting was groundbreaking, because it allowed the show to tackle types of stories it never could before.
05:39For a show all about evolving, all we can say is it was about time.
05:43I'm just a traveler.
05:45Sometimes I see things need fixing.
05:48I do what I can.
05:52Except right now, I'm a traveler without a ship.
05:56I've stayed too long.
05:57I should get back to finding my TARDIS.
05:59Matt Fraser as Richard III.
06:01Richard III.
06:02Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious summer, by the sun of York, and all the clouds that
06:10lowered upon our house, deep in the bosom of the ocean of bed.
06:15It's hard to believe there are still new ways to interpret William Shakespeare's body of work, but against all odds,
06:21this 2017 production of Richard III did just that by casting Matt Fraser.
06:25I that am rudely stamped and want love's majesty to strut before a once-and-handling nymph.
06:31The British actor, who was born with underdeveloped arms, was the first differently-abled performer to professionally play the legendary
06:38role.
06:39A part that, as described by Shakespeare, has an unsightly hunchback.
06:43By casting Fraser as a character defined by his appearance, this production reframed generations of preconceived biases.
06:50Since I cannot prove a lover to entertain these fair, well-spoken days, I am determined to prove a villain
06:59and hate the idle pleasures of these days.
07:03Of course, that wouldn't matter if Fraser wasn't up to the task.
07:06Thankfully, he delivered in spades, showing that a little casting ingenuity can sometimes have dazzling results.
07:12I guess on many levels, this is my acting career highlight, because, you know, when do you ever get to
07:17play the lead in a famous Shakespeare piece?
07:20Marco Robby as Barbie.
07:22Barbie.
07:23When you're playing with Barbies, nobody bothers to walk them down the stairs and out the door, etc.
07:29You just pick them up and put them where you want them to go.
07:32Let's make one thing clear.
07:34You couldn't have found a better Barbie if you went to the store and took one off the shelves.
07:38But while Margot Robbie absolutely nails the doll-like performance, it's hard to buy into her character's moment of self
07:44-pity.
07:45I'm just gonna sit here and wait and hope that one of the more leadership-oriented Barbies just snaps out
07:52of it, does something about this whole mess.
07:54She calls herself unattractive, which is almost laughable coming from someone as naturally gorgeous as Robbie.
08:00The movie even makes a cheeky joke about it.
08:03Note to the filmmakers, Margot Robbie is the wrong person to cast if you want to make this point.
08:07With all that being said, it's clear this moment would have landed differently with another actress.
08:12However, for our money, we can't imagine anyone else donning the pink clothes as well as Robbie did.
08:17We look great.
08:19I love fringe.
08:20I love denim.
08:22Hey, man.
08:24You guys gotta pay for that stuff.
08:28Millicent Simmons as Regan Abbott, A Quiet Place.
08:37Inclusion in Hollywood took a major step forward when John Krasinski cast a real deaf actress as the non-hearing
08:43character Regan in this 2018 horror flick.
08:58It wasn't just about authenticity, though.
09:01Actress Millicent Simmons played an integral role in A Quiet Place, doing everything from teaching the cast ASL to collaborating
09:08on her character's storyline.
09:10Her lived-in experiences helped elevate the material into an honest and powerful representation of the deaf community.
09:16It's no wonder Krasinski specifically sought out actresses who were hard of hearing.
09:20Without their insight, A Quiet Place would have barely made a gasp with audiences.
09:43Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, Iron Man.
09:46I am Iron Man.
09:48Coming off a series of flops and high-profile personal struggles, Robert Downey Jr. was the very last person studio
09:54executives wanted to lead their franchise.
09:56Ironically, though, his troubled past is exactly why director Jon Favreau felt he was perfectly suited for Tony Stark.
10:03What is it?
10:05Fly in the mountain, look.
10:13Impressive.
10:14He faced a lot of pushback, but Disney dried their tears with cold hard cash when Favreau's instincts delivered a
10:21franchise-spawning hit.
10:22Turns out, the director was completely right.
10:25When people saw Downey Jr. on screen, they were able to connect with Tony Stark's struggles in a deeper way.
10:30And they said, here's a line, we don't cross it, this is how we do business.
10:33If we're double-dealing under the table, are we?
10:41Let's take a picture, come on.
10:44Picture time!
10:46The similarities between actor and character is exactly why Downey Jr. wasn't just a great Tony Stark, but a great
10:53Iron Man.
10:54You're not Iron Man.
10:55I am.
10:56You're not.
10:56All right, shoot yourself.
10:58You know, if I were Iron Man, I'd have this girlfriend who knew my true identity.
11:02She'd be a wreck.
11:03She'd always be worrying that I was going to die.
11:05I'd sort of proud of the man I'd become.
11:07She'd be wildly conflicted, which would only make her more crazy about me.
11:22The point of revisiting history is to identify its impact on the here and now.
11:27And what better way to do that than by reflecting what America currently looks like?
11:31I am not throwing away my shot.
11:34Hey, you won't just let my country and young start being a queen.
11:37I am not throwing away my shot, son.
11:40That's what Lin-Manuel Miranda envisioned for his record-shattering hit, Hamilton.
11:44Instead of filling the Broadway cast with ethnically appropriate figures, he embraced a colorblind
11:49philosophy, allowing performers from all walks of life a chance they'd rarely get otherwise.
11:54You could say it worked out.
11:56I am the one thing in life I can control.
12:04Not only did it help audiences visualize the issues in a modern perspective, but we also
12:09got some amazing performances out of it.
12:12Renee Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs, and Leslie Odom Jr., just to name a few.
12:16We're just happy we were in the room where it happened.
12:24Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
12:28Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher.
12:30Jack Reacher.
12:31Although he looked nothing like the book version, fans were too smitten to care.
12:36You'll bounce me around to make sure I'm not followed, then walk me into an ambush and
12:39kill me.
12:41Ah, you ruined my surprise.
12:43Well, I could do one better.
12:45Halle Bailey as Ariel, the Little Mermaid.
12:47Bailey's charm proved that everyone deserves to be part of this world.
12:51Bet you're on land, they understand, but they don't reprimand their daughters.
12:59Jodie Turner-Smith as Anne Boleyn.
13:01Anne Boleyn.
13:02Colorblind casting done right.
13:04One of them lurks beneath my bedchamber, shrieking every night.
13:07I swear, it's taunting me.
13:09Sure there isn't a creature in England that would dare do that?
13:13They should be shot.
13:21Mike Myers as Shrek.
13:23Shrek.
13:24We have Myers to thank for the iconic Scottish accent.
13:27That must be Lord Farquaad's castle.
13:30Yeah, that's the place.
13:32Do you think maybe he's compensating for something?
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13:54Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Throp.
13:56Wicked and wicked for good.
13:58Elphaba Throp!
14:01This is my younger sister, Nessa Rose.
14:04As you can see, she's a perfectly acceptable color.
14:06Cynthia Erivo did more than defy gravity in 2024.
14:10By stepping into the green makeup of Elphaba Throp, she also unlocked a whole new avenue
14:15for the legendary story.
14:16And I'll stand there with a wizard, feeling the things I've never felt.
14:26Just think about it.
14:27A black woman playing a character who's villainized in part because of the color of her skin?
14:32It's such a brilliant fit.
14:33It makes you wonder why it had never happened before.
14:36Her green skin is but an outward manifestorium of her twisted nature.
14:46This distortion, this repulsion, this wicked witch.
14:57It's simply impossible to witness Erivo's emotional performance without connecting it
15:02to the experience of people of color everywhere.
15:05If you need proof of the impact, Broadway welcomed its first full-time black Elphaba in 2025,
15:10right in between the release of Erivo's films.
15:13Has someone told me lately?
15:17Everyone deserves a chance to fly!
15:21Which well-established character do you think deserves to be shown in a new light?
15:25Let us know in the comments below.
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