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First choice isn’t always the best choice

36 Iconic Characters Almost Played by the Last Person You’d Expect

April 13, 2024

If Tom Cruise is too busy playing SoCal Jesus to star in your movie… maybe that’s a blessing in disguise.

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36

Sally Field almost starred in Friday the 13th. Field turned down the role of Alice in the summer camp slasher, leaving Adrienne King to get the part. CRACKED.COM — Source

35

Ryan Gosling was offered the role of Jim in 28 Days Later. The starring role was initially written for and offered to Ewan McGregor, who turned it down. Gosling was the second choice, but declined due to scheduling conflicts. Irish actor Cillian Murphy was relatively unknown back then, but ended up crushing the part. CRACKED.COM — Source

34

Jane Krakowski almost played mean-girl Judy in Sleepaway Camp. Krakowski turned down the part when she found out how the character dies-a death that involved a curling iron up her cooch. CRACKED.COM — Source

33

POLICE The producers wanted Robert Duvall for Chief Brody in Jaws. Duvall was offered the part, but the actor turned it down because he was more interested in the part of Quint-the part that went to Robert Shaw. CRACKED.COM — Source

32

Morgan Freeman was up for the part of Hannibal Lecter. You think The Silence of the Lambs, you see Sir Anthony Hopkins. But the iconic character created by Thomas Harris was once considered to go to either Freeman, Dustin Hoffman, or even Sean Connery. Gene Hackman would've played Dr. Lecter and directed the movie himself if he could-only his daughter asked him not to. CRACKED.COM — Source

31

Benedict Cumberbatch almost played vampire Bill in True Blood. Yep, Cumberbatch auditioned for one of television's hottest vampires. No word on why he didn't land the part. Maybe an accent thing. CRACKED.COM — Source

30

Christina Ricci was up for Claudia in Interview with the Vampire. Other actresses who lost out to Kirsten Dunst in the end were Natalie Portman, Julia Stiles, and Evan Rachel Wood. CRACKED.COM — Source

29

Ben Mendelsohn was offered the role of Pennywise. The actor however turned down the part when New Line wanted him to take a pay cut. CRACKED.COM — Source

28

David Warner almost played Freddy Krueger. The English actor came close to starring in Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street, but due to scheduling conflicts it never came to be. CRACKED.COM — Source

27

Freddy Prinze Jr. almost played Billy Loomis in Scream. According to Prinze Jr., if it was up to writer Kevin Williamson he'd have gotten the part, but director Wes Craven wanted Skeet Ulrich for the role. CRACKED.COM — Source

26

Brad Pitt could've starred in Sleepy Hollow. Не may even have gotten the part of Ichabod Crane, too, if it weren't for Tim Burton's eternal love of having Johnny Depp play all his leads. CRACKED.COM — Source

25

If it were left to the studio, Charlie Sheen would've played Harker in Bram Stoker's Dracula. The studio wanted a big name, and was looking at everyone from Sheen to Christian Slater before giving the role to Keanu Reeves. CRACKED.COM — Source

24

REORUM Ewan McGregor wasn't the first choice to play adult Danny Torrance in Doctor Sleep. Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Matt Smith, and Dan Stevens were all being considered for the part before McGregor snatched it up. CRACKED.COM — Source

23

Eddie Murphy almost played the titular character in Candyman. Some accounts say that Murphy wanted too much money. Others say he was ultimately deemed too short for the role that, in the end, went to the great Tony Todd. CRACKED.COM — Source

22

Tom Cruise asked way too many questions that couldn't be answered. edward SCISSORHANDS Cruise was perplexed by how Edward Scissorhands could do everyday things. Не would ask questions like, How does he go to the bathroom? and How did he live without eating all those years? Tom just couldn't suspend his disbelief. CRACKED.COM — Source

21

Will Smith wanted to change everything about Quentin Tarantino's movie. DJANGO TONOHAINED Smith insisted that Django should be the one who kills the villain, Calvin Candie. Не also wanted to tone down the violence and make the film more of a love story. CRACKED.COM — Source

20

Sean Connery didn't understand a damn thing in the Lord of the Rings script. LORD THE OF THE RINGS The legendary actor declined the role of Gandalf in the movie trilogy, and ultimately $10 million. Connery later said, I read the book. I read the script. I saw the movie. I still don't understand it. CRACKED.COM — Source

19

Russell Crowe didn't want to be typecast as Mr. Wolfman. X-MEN Crowe was Bryan Singer's first choice to play Wolverine, but he was hesitant because in his prior movie, Gladiator, Maximus had a wolf on his armor and as a companion. Не feared he'd be taking on too many wolf-themed roles. CRACKED.COM — Source

18

Pierce Brosnan thought he'd look ridiculous in Batman's costume. BATMAN Tim Burton wanted Brosnan to play Bruce Wayne in Batman (1989). During a Reddit AMA session, Brosnan recalled the time when the director showed him the suit, he said: Any man who wears underpants outside his pants just cannot be taken seriously. CRACKED.COM — Source

17

John Travolta didn't want to be associated with a misandrist movie. CHI CAGO Harvey Weinstein offered Travolta the role of Billy Flynn numerous times, but he kept turning it down. The actor assumed that the original play was about a bunch of women who hated men. CRACKED.COM — Source

16

John Candy had a bizarre request for his character. GHOST BUSTERS Ivan Reitman offered Candy the role of Louis Tully, but he wanted to play him with a German accent, and have two German Shepherds next to him at all times. Reitman backed away slowly and said, I'm sorry, John. Maybe next time. CRACKED.COM — Source

15

Frank Sinatra used an eight-year-old injury as an excuse. DirtyHarry While filming The Manchurian Candidate, he suffered a broken wrist. Due to that injury, which occurred almost a decade prior, Harry Callahan's iconic magnum felt like Thor's hammer to Sinatra. Не said he couldn't lift it. CRACKED.COM — Source

14

Eminem refused to leave Detroit. CHEMRAIL ELYSIUM Director Neil Blomkamp chose Marshall Mathers to play Max Da Costa in his second sci-fi project. What he didn't know is that the rapper/actor has a history of turning down films that aren't shot in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. CRACKED.COM — Source

13

Eddie Murphy thought that Ghostbusters was absolute nonsense. ZENENCH GHOST BUSTERS During the filming of Trading Places, Dan Aykroyd, who was obsessed with ghosts, told Murphy that he had him in mind to play Winston Zeddemore in his movie about paranormal investigators. Eddie's response: This sounds like a crock. CRACKED.COM — Source

12

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

11

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

10

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

9

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

8

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

7

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

6

36 Iconic Characters Almost Played by the Last Person You’d Expect — Source

5

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

4

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

3

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

2

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

1

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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