Who knew that so many of our favourite films could have ended up so differently?
1. Will Smith – The Matrix.
It is a little known fact that the character of Neo – so widely synonymous these days with Keanu Reeves – could have ended up being played by Will Smith in The Matrix Trilogy. And you know what? We actually think he would have been pretty good but apparently he was adamant that he would have messed it up so decided to step aside.
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2. Burt Reynolds – Star Wars.
One of the best stories to come out of the Star Wars franchise; Burt Reynolds decided to pass on the role of Han Solo – much to his peril – and the role ended up falling in to the hands of a lowly carpenter who was working on set at the time, Harrison Ford. What a turn of events!
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3. Gwyneth Paltrow – Jurassic Park.
It seems so long ago since blockbuster hit Jurassic Park hit our screens – well technically is has been 25 years – but did you know that a very young Gwyneth Paltrow was first considered for the part of Ellie Sattler after director Steven Spielberg had previously worked with her on childhood hit Hook. But alas, it wasn’t to be. The role was later awarded to Laura Dern and Gwyneth went on to make her big break in hits such as Se7en and The Talented Mr Ripley.
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4. Leonardo DiCaprio – American Psycho.
Spurning what was apparently one of the biggest rivalries of the 00s, Leonardo DiCaprio aggressively pursued Chrisitan Bale’s role in American Psycho, an endeavour at which he was very nearly successful due to his rising star status. However, after much campaigning, Bale was able to win it back in the end and prove that he was worthy of the role.
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5. Tom Cruise – Iron Man.
It’s no secret that Robert Downey Jr has had his fair share of ups and downs. And considering that the Iron Man franchise had been in the pipeline since the 90s, it isn’t surprising to hear that the producers had originally set other stars such as Tom Cruise in mind for the role. Thank goodness things worked out the way they did though!
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6. Britney Spears – The Notebook.
Who would have thought that the character of Allie in The Notebook – played so well by Rachel McAdams – was potentially going to be offered to Ryan Gosling’s old Mickey Mouse Club buddy Britney Spears? I think it’s safe to say that this all worked out for the best in the end in terms of who they actually chose…
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7. Jennifer Lawrence – Twilight.
There are a lot of ‘Twi-Hards’ out there whose lives could have turned out very differently had Jennifer Lawrence got the part of Bella Swan and not Kristen Stewart, who actually went on to have a real life relationship with the formidable Edward Cullen aka Robert Pattinson.
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8. Anne Hathaway – Silver Linings Playbook.
Before Jennifer Lawrence forged her longstanding bond with director David O Russell (who has since cast her in several other award-winning movies), it was actually Anne Hathaway who was earmarked for the part of Tiffany in Silver Linings Playbook but later went on to back out due to creative differences.
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9. Jack Nicholson – The Godfather.
It seems impossible to imagine any other actor embodying the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, but it is a true fact that Jack Nicholson was the first actor to be offered the part and declined before they reached out to Al Pacino.
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10. Jim Carrey – Pirates of the Caribbean.
Despite the fact that it’s widely recognised that the role of Jack Sparrow largely came to fruition thanks to Johnny Depp’s take on it, it is a lesser known fact that Disney originally had Jim Carrey in mind to come up with an iconic ‘baddie’ of sorts.
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