Casting can be one of the more difficult parts of the filmmaking process, especially in pre-production. It can feel incredibly daunting to find the right person for a role without foresight into what an actor will fully bring to a role. Thankfully, these stories should put any potential concerns of a casting director reading this at ease.
Let’s look at some actors who weren’t the first choice for their biggest roles.
Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada
Not only was Anne Hathaway not the first choice to play Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada, but she also wasn’t even the eighth choice. Hathaway was ninth in line for the part that was initially offered to Rachel McAdams by the studio. McAdams turned the offer down for the part multiple times because she wanted to veer away from doing mainstream movies. Actresses that were offered the role before Hathaway also included Natalie Portman, Claire Danes, and Juliette Lewis. Sometimes plan I winds up being the right choice, because it’s now impossible to imagine anyone else playing that role.
Kathy Bates in Titanic
‘Titanic’Credit: Paramount Pictures
While Kathy Bates’ role in Titanic is hardly bigger than her role in Misery, the story of how she got the part in Titanic remains incredibly interesting. The role of the unsinkable Molly Brown was originally offered to and accepted by Reba McEntire. She wound up having to drop the project due to already having a music tour scheduled at the same time as filming. James Cameron then pivoted to his next choice, the incomparable Kathy Bates, and it all worked out well. Weirdly, I’d still be curious to see a version of the film where McEntire plays that part, even if it’s just for a brief moment. The last person I’d have removed from Titanic completely is Kathy Bates.
Hugh Jackman in the X-Men Franchise
If you can believe it, director Bryan Singer’s first choice for the role of Wolverine was Russell Crowe. When he was initially offered the part, he turned it down since he had just come off his role in Gladiator, and felt that the parts had too many similarities to each other. He recommended Jackman for the part, but the studio didn’t listen even then!
They wound up casting Dougray Scott in the lead role, but he had to drop out before filming due to scheduling conflicts with his role in Mission: Impossible 2.
Jackman just happened to be in the right place at the right time when he got a screen test for the role in Toronto. He was quickly offered the role and was brought to Los Angeles to film, and the rest is history!
Chris Hemsworth in Thor
‘Thor’Credit: Walt Disney Studios
The first person to initially be offered the role of the God of Thunder was James Bond himself, Daniel Craig. An absolutely diabolical choice, if you ask me, especially in retrospect, with how long Hemsworth has been playing the part.
Craig thankfully declined the offer, citing his need to focus on his role as Bond, and even then, Chris wasn’t even the first Hemsworth brother in mind for the role. Chris was moved on in the audition process without a screen test, and Liam Hemsworth, his brother, became a top contender for the part. After Marvel passed on Liam, Chris’ agent asked Kevin Feige to have Chris read for the part one more time, and he was finally chosen for the role.
Ryan Gosling in The Notebook
This one might have the most bizarre director motivation behind the casting. In the initial stages of pre-production, George Clooney was set to play the part of Noah, with Paul Newman set to play the old version of him. Clooney quickly became intimidated by Newman’s star power, and the prospect of having to fill a younger version of his shoes, and wound up stepping down from the role.
This is where it gets crazy. Director Nick Cassavetes wound up offering the role to Ryan Gosling because he thought that he wasn’t as attractive as your typical Hollywood leading man, and could be seen on a more tangible level for audiences. Yes, Ryan Gosling got the part of Noah because the director didn’t think he was handsome. Wild anecdote.
Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones
‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’Credit: Walt Disney Studios
By far the most iconic role on this list, the part of Indiana Jones was very nearly not Harrison Ford’s at all. Actor Tom Selleck was actually the first choice to play the part after doing well in a screen test; however, he was locked into a contract with Magnum P.I. He was told by CBS that since he had already done the pilot for the show, he wasn’t allowed to do Indiana Jones on top of that part. He later lamented that he definitely could have, but thankfully the filmmakers moved on to Harrison Ford, whose performance as the man in the hat is one for the ages.
