40 Stars Who Landed Different Roles Than They Originally Auditioned For
Things could have been very, very different.
Actors don't always get the roles they audition for. Rejection, after all, is just a part of show business. But, there's a lucky handful—Liam Hemsworth, Rachel McAdams, and Shia LaBeouf, to name a few—that have impressed the powers that be and got another role out of the deal. Ahead, 40 actors who ended up playing a part they didn't initially go for.
Bella Thorne
The role: Emma Duval in Scream: The TV Series (2015-2-16)
Who *actually* played it: Willa Fitzgerald
The role they played instead: Nina Fitzgerald
Thorne turned down the main role because she thought the character, Nina, was more "iconic," adding that she's never died on screen before.
Iwan Rheon
The role: Jon Snow in Game of Thrones (2011-2018)
Who *actually* played it: Kit Harington
The role they played instead: Ramsay Bolton/Ramsay Snow
Even though Rheon's role was memorable, it was also one of the most hated characters in Game of Thrones history—and that's saying a lot.
Jessica Capshaw
The role: Nurse Rose and Dr. Sadie Harris in Grey’s Anatomy (2005-present)
Who *actually* played it: Lauren Stamile (as Nurse Rose), Melissa George (as Sadie Harris)
The role they played instead: Dr. Arizona Robbins
Capshaw auditioned for multiple roles in Shonda Rhimes' hit TV series Grey's Anatomy, before finally landing the role as Dr. Arizona Robbins.
Heath Ledger
The role: Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight (2008)
Who *actually* played it: Christian Bale
The role they played instead: The Joker
Ledger ended up winning a posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the Joker.
Lindsay Lohan
The role: Regina George in Mean Girls (2004)
Who *actually* played it: Rachel McAdams
The role they played instead: Caddy Heron
Can you imagine this Mean Girls changeup? Originally the producers and Lohan wanted her to play Regina George. However, after Freaky Friday came out and Lohan's popularity skyrocketed, they worried the audience wouldn't like her as the villain.
Rachel McAdams
The role: Cady Heron in Mean Girls (2004)
Who *actually* played it: Lindsay Lohan
The role they played instead: Regina George
Director Mark Waters told Vulture he thought McAdams was "too old" for the part of Cady, but found her age helped her play the intimidating Regina George opposite the younger Lindsay Lohan.
Liam Hemsworth
The role: Peeta Mellark in The Hunger Games (2012)
Who *actually* played it: Josh Hutcherson
The role they played instead: Gale Hawthorne
In 2011, Hemsworth told MTV he was interested in playing Peeta, but we think the casting directors got this one right.
Alexander Ludwig
The role: Peeta Mellark in The Hunger Games (2012)
Who *actually* played it: Josh Hutcherson
The role they played instead: Cato, a tribute
Clearly, Peeta was a coveted role in Hollywood. The Vikings actor also wanted the part.
Sandra Oh
The role: Miranda Bailey in Grey’s Anatomy (2005-present)
Who *actually* played it: Chandra Wilson
The role they played instead: Christina Yang
Oh revealed at PaleyFest LA in 2006 that she saw the part of Christina Yang and was much more drawn to it, so she "asked for what she wanted" and we'd say it worked out for her.
Isaiah Washington
The role: Derek Shepherd in Grey's Anatomy (2005-present)
Who *actually* played it: Patrick Dempsey
The role they played instead: Preston Burke
Even though Washington didn't get the role of Derek Shepherd, creator Shonda Rhimes reportedly liked his audition so much that she cast him as Preston Burke when the original actor dropped out.
Rainn Wilson
The role: Michael Scott in The Office (2005-2013)
Who *actually* played it: Steve Carrell
The role they played instead: Dwight Schrute
Wilson was the first person to audition for the role of Michael Scott. But he's a better Dwight if you ask us.
Samm Levine
The role: Sam Weir in Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000)
Who *actually* played it: John Francis Daley
The role they played instead: Neal Schweiber
Apparently, Levine did a self-proclaimed "crappy" impression of William Shatner for his audition. The results? He was cast as a geek with dreams of becoming a comedian instead.
Courteney Cox
The role: Rachel Green in Friends (1994-2004)
Who *actually* played it: Jennifer Aniston
The role they played instead: Monica Geller
Producers wanted Cox to play Rachel, but Cox said she wanted to play Monica. And that was that.
Eddie Redmayne
The role: Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Who *actually* played it: Christian Coulson
The role they played instead: Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
Redmayne told Empire he auditioned for the part of Tom Riddle while in college, but "properly failed and didn't get a callback." Years later his dream of being in a Harry Potter movie came true.
Bethany Joy Lenz
The role: Brooke Davis in One Tree Hill (2003-2012)
Who *actually* played it: Sophia Bush
The role they played instead: Haley James Scott
Lenz was a better fit for the girl-next-door character, which she had to dye her blonde hair brown for.
Ed Westwick
The role: Nate Archibald in Gossip Girl (2007-2012)
Who *actually* played it: Chace Crawford
The role they played instead: Chuck Bass
Creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage encouraged Westwick to read for Chuck Bass after not landing the part of Nate Archibald.
Sara Paxton
The role: Lizzie McGuire in Lizzie McGuire (2001-2004)
Who *actually* played it: Hilary Duff
The role they played instead: Holly
The role of Holly was a guest appearance in which Paxton played a former class president of Lizzie's.
Hank Azaria
The role: Joey Tribbiani in Friends (1994-2004)
Who *actually* played it: Matt LeBlanc
The role they played instead: David, the "science guy"
Azaria's guest role was reoccurring over the ten seasons, and he played one of Phoebe's love interests.
Jon Favreau
The role: Chandler Bing in Friends (1994-2004)
Who *actually* played it: Matthew Perry
The role they played instead: Pete Becker, the "ultimate fighting champion guy"
Favreau's role was also a love interest on the show, this time for Monica, and was reoccurring throughout the third season.
Ashley Greene
The role: Bella Swan in Twilight (2008)
Who *actually* played it: Kristen Stewart
The role they played instead: Alice Cullen
"I originally auditioned for Bella, and so I read the first book and kind of fell in love with it," she told MTV in an interview. "I went in and auditioned and actually they called me back in and said, 'No, you're not right for Bella,' so I was bummed, and then they brought me back for Alice."
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