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33 Mind-Boggling Ways Major TV and Movie Parts Were Cast

Several of these aren’t just ‘nepotism’

33 Mind-Boggling Ways Major TV and Movie Parts Were Cast

February 01, 2024

A lot of people think you become an actor by going to the SAG recruitment table outside of your high school’s lunch room, like you’re joining the Navy. Not so. It actually takes an expert level of aloofness, a chiseled jaw and a famous parent to pull off a career like that.

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CRACKED.COM That's not always Hugo weaving behind V's mask. A few scenes of V for Vendetta feature James Purefoy, a.k.a. Mark Antony from Rome. At the time, it was reported that he walked away because he hated wearing the mask. Не later claimed that he disagreed about how the character should be played. — Source

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CRACKED.COM corporal Hicks was replaced because of drugs. Hicks is the only Marine left alive when Aliens ends, but his original actor didn't make it to the end of shooting. James Remar was fired over a drug arrest. Michael Biehn was flown in overnight, and was the only actor who didn't get to customize his military gear. — Source

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CRACKED.COM Lisa Kudrow wasn't a good ROZ. Kudrow and Peri Gilpin were the two final choices for Roz Doyle in Frasier- and the producers went with Kudrow. But her quirky style wasn't a good fit for the character, so the runner-up stepped up after a short time. — Source

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CRACKED.COM Dougray scott was too late to play wolverine. You may remember Scott as the bad guy in Mission: Impossible 2. Не remembers that as well, as delays with that shoot made him miss his appointment with X-Men. Hugh Jackman was cast as a replacement and fitted for his claws in record time. — Source

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CRACKED.COM sylvester stallone blew his own chances to play Axel Foley. BEVE HIL Stallone was the first choice to star in Beverly Hills Cop. Не accepted-and immediately rewrote the script to make it less comedic and more action- oriented. Nope, said the folks in charge, and called Eddie Murphy instead. — Source

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33 Mind-Boggling Ways Major TV and Movie Parts Were Cast — Source

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CRACKED.COM Jaws from James Bond was almost the Hulk. Richard Kiel was the first actor to be painted green for the pilot of The Incredible Hulk. Не was replaced by bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno after a few days, as Kiel, big as he was, wasn't bulky enough to make a good Hulk. — Source

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CRACKED.COM John Hurt was a late addition to the crew of the Nostromo. British thespian Jon Finch played Kane for a short time while shooting Alien. Then he got suddenly ill (due to his diabetes, not to any chestburster), and Hurt was brought onboard to birth the creature. — Source

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CRACKED.COM Marty MCFly just wasn't funny. Back to the Future started production with Eric Stoltz as Marty. But Stoltz' comedic energy was just not there. Michael Fox replaced him after five weeks, and the whole movie was shot again from scratch. — Source

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CRACKED.COM Tim curry would have made a sick Joker. Mark Hamill's Joker is one of the best things about Batman: The Animated Series. But Hamill was brought in as a replacement for Tim Curry. The producers weren't happy with Curry's take on the character (while Curry himself says he just had bronchitis.) — Source

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CRACKED.COM An injury prevented cameron Diaz from being sonya Blade. Diaz started martial arts training for Mortal Kombat as soon as she finished filming The Mask. Alas, testing her might broke her wrist before shooting started. Bridgette Wilson took her place, and we never got to see Princess Fiona kicking Outworld ass. — Source

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CRACKED.COM Al swearengen was written for Ed O'Neill. Deadwood creator David Milch intended loser Al Bundy to play scary pimp Swearengen. But HBO said no because, well, he was loser Al Bundy. Then lan McShane made Swearengen his own and no one looked back. — Source

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Awful Movie 43 features a bizarrely impressive cast. HALLE BERRY EIZABETH BANKS KRISTEN BELL KATE BOSWORTH GERARD BUTLE RICHARD GERE JOSH DUHAMEL ANNA FARIS TERRENCE HOWA OBBY CANNAVALE CHRISTOPHER HUGH JACKMAN JOHNNY KNOXVILLI JUSTINLONG MINTZ-PLASSE HLOE GRACE MO MOTO first got Hugh Jackman and Kate Wesslerirst Winslet Charles to star in one sketch ... four years before the eventual film came out. Не used the footage (and their involvement) to get other stars to join up. When they realized the film was trash, it was too late. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Skinny Shane Black looks out of place in Predator. The director really wanted him as a script doctor, but Black refused. So he cast him. That way, they had him on set, here he couldn't help but contribute to the story. When Black showed up but still refused to write, they decided to simply kill him off quickly. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Johnny Depp didn't plan to audition. Не was just accompanying his friend Jackie Earle Haley. But Wes Craven had him read for the minor part of his film's protagonist's boyfriend. Both friends ended up acting, but Depp became one of the most successful actors of all time. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Gunther's actor only got the part for his coffee skills. James Michael Tyler showed up for an audition for extras with coffee experience. His Coffee Guy character skulked in the background of Central Perk for a season and a half before the show's creators even asked if he knew how to act. CRACKED.COM

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Richard Dawkins was tricked into appearing in Expelled. Dawkins was told he was interviewed for a film called Crossroads, about how religious ideas persist. The actual film is about Big Science oppressing religious freedom, and the film blames belief in evolution for everything from communism to the Holocaust. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Linda Blair was very comfortable with her Exorcist role. She listed out to director William Friedkin the many actions of the character she was auditioning to play, including masturbating with a crucifix. It's like jerking off, isn't it? she said, and when asked if she'd ever done that, the 11-year-old replied, Sure, haven't you? Friedkin hired her. CRACKED.COM — Source

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John Wayne started in the prop department. But whenever they needed extras for movies back then, they just grabbed whoever was standing around. Because Wayne had the build of a football player, he got early roles like football player in background and football player on sideline. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Richard Donner wasn't convinced at first by the Omen kid. So at the audition, he challenged young Harvey Stevens to come at me. Before the director realized what he'd done, the young actor was charging at him, clawing his face and hitting him square in the groin. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Ryan Reynolds was forced into X-Men Origins: Wolverine. When the Deadpool role in the famously terrible movie opened up, Reynolds says he was essentially told, Either play Deadpool in this movie, or you'll never get to play him in any movie. Не toughed it out, despite describing himself as a little bit blackmailed. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Rory McCann

Rory McCann didn't have his audition script. His sister printed out just the opening lines, by mistake. When he came to the audition, he saw everyone else had prepared a long speech he knew nothing about. So with nothing prepared, he just acted crazy ... and got the part. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Keanu wasn't quite a star when he joined The Watcher. Then The Matrix made him a superstar-but The Watcher didn't offer him any more money, despite what a draw he now was. Reeves wound up having to do the movie because a friend (presumably the director) forged his name on a contract. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Evangeline Lilly acted in a phone sex ad. She was working as a stewardess for Air Canada when a scout for the Ford modeling agency spotted her. The phone sex gig was not what she had in mind, but it was an acting role, and it launched her career. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Marilyn Monroe was photographed an a munitions plant. A photographer for Yank (a magazine intended to boost morale of troops overseas) snapped a photo of her for the cover and complimented her looks. So she took acting classes, cut and dyed her hair blonde, and became a legend. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Kit Harrington walked into his audition with a black eye. The night before, he'd got into a fight with a stranger while on a date in McDonald's. Harrington (hardly the most skilled actor on Game of Thrones) now credits the shiner for making him look tough enough for his Night's Watch role. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Wayne Knight got Jurassic Park because of Basic Instinct. During the infamous interrogation scene, where Knight nervously watches Sharon Stone cross her legs, Spielberg thought, What if that were a dinosaur? Knight never had to audition, and he didn't meet Spielberg until he flew to Hawaii for filming. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Ryan Gosling was cast because he wasn't handsome. That sounds dumb now, but Notebook director Nick Cassavetes said, I want you ... because you're not like the other young actors out there in Hollywood. You're not handsome, you're not cool, you're just a regular guy who looks a bit nuts. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Harrison Ford came to Star Wars as a carpenter. He'd already appeared in George Lucas' American Graffiti, but he returned to carpentry and only reunited with Lucas because he was installing a door for Francis Ford Coppola. Lucas hired him as an audition partner for aspiring Princess Leias. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Mel Gibson drove a friend to an audition. The night before, he'd got into adrunken brawl, so he showed up covered in bruises. The director told him to come back because the film needed freaks. When he did return, he instead landed the lead in Mad Max. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Rosario Dawson was discovered sitting on her front stoop. Photographer Larry Clark and young screenwriter Harmony Korine told her she'd be perfect for the movie they were making. Instead of calling the neighborhood watch, Dawson showed up for an audition, got the role, and the movie ended up being Kids. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Paul Bettany was tricked into appearing in Dogville. Stellan Skarsgård told him filming would be a nonstop party. The movie was actually about a sex slave's revenge. Having no fun, Bettany asked for answers from Skarsgård, who said, Man, I was making it up. I just couldn't face doing it without you. CRACKED.COM — Source

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