{"id":1161776,"date":"2023-06-09T14:27:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-09T21:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/?p=1161776"},"modified":"2023-07-16T09:01:50","modified_gmt":"2023-07-16T16:01:50","slug":"stars-who-missed-out-big-movie-roles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/stars-who-missed-out-big-movie-roles\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Stars Who Missed Out on Big Movie Roles, From Rachel McAdams to Nicholas Hoult"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every Hollywood star probably has a story about a role they almost had before it went to someone else and became a box office smash. But not every star tells these stories \u2014 so when they do, it’s hard not to imagine what could have been. We’ve got a list of 7 stars who missed out on big movie roles for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Rachel McAdams turning down roles in Casino Royal <\/em>and The Devil Wears Prada<\/em> to Nicholas Hoult having to pull out of two Mission: Impossible<\/em> movies because of a scheduling conflict, there is no shortage of would’ve-could’ve-should’ve stories in Hollywood. These are just some of the casting near-misses we have the privilege of knowing about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Rachel McAdams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Rachel
Rachel McAdams as Barbara Simon and Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon share a mother daughter moment in Are You There God? It\u2019s Me, Margaret. Photo Credit: Dana Hawley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In a new interview with Bustle<\/em><\/a>, the Notebook<\/em> and Mean Girls<\/em> star opened up about how it feels to look back on the period between 2006-2008 when she turned down roles no less than four flicks that went on to become box office smashes. These include The Devil Wears Prada<\/em> (she didn’t specify which part, but presumably Anne Hathaway’s role as Andy Sachs); Casino Royale, which presumably would have found her in Eva Green’s role; the first Iron Man <\/em>(Pepper Potts?); Get Smart <\/em>(another one Anne Hathaway has her to thank for) and Mission: Impossible III<\/em> (Michelle Monaghan’s role, perhaps?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McAdams says she sometimes wishes she would have said yes to some of these roles, but that she reminds herself that it all turned out for the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s certainly things like \u2018I wish I\u2019d done that,'” she told Bustle<\/em>. \u201cI step back and go, \u2018That was the right person for that.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No big deal for McAdams, though \u2014 she’s done plenty of other great movies, like the new Judy Blume adaptation Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret<\/a><\/em>; About Time<\/em>; The Vow<\/em>, and Wedding Crashers<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Nicholas Hoult<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Sarah Paulson as Dorothy Olding and Nicholas Hoult as J.D. Salinger in Danny Strong\u2019s REBEL IN THE RYE. Photo by Alison Cohen Rosa. Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Films release.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nicholas Hoult recently revealed to The Guardian<\/em><\/a> that he screen-tested for Robert Pattinson’s role in The Batman<\/em> as well as for Top Gun<\/em> (perhaps in Miles Teller or Glen Powell’s role?), but was passed over. Then, it seemed that fate was trying to bring him and Tom Cruise together again when the actor personally called him to offer him a role in Mission Impossible 7<\/em>. Hoult accepted the role but ultimately had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI screen-tested for Batman <\/em>and didn\u2019t get it,\u201d Hoult told The Guardian<\/em>. \u201cScreen-tested for Top Gun<\/em>, didn\u2019t get it. Then I got the call from Tom Cruise: \u2018Hey, how about Mission Impossible<\/em>?’ Ok. Got it. Then I had to drop out because I was already attached to do some more of The Great<\/em>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, Hoult has a lot of great films under his belt, like the new Renfield<\/em> movie opposite Nicolas Cage as Dracula; Warm Bodies<\/em>; The Menu<\/em>, and Mad Max: Fury Road.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Christian Bale<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"American
Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) goes to dinner in American Psycho<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The American Psycho<\/em> star famously lost out on the role of Jack in Titanic<\/em><\/a> to Leonardo DiCaprio. But he’s not mad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you know how grateful I am to get any damn thing? I mean, I can\u2019t do what he [DiCaprio] does,\u201d Bale told GQ<\/em><\/a>. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t want the exposure that he has either. And he does it magnificently. But I would suspect that almost everybody of similar age to him in Hollywood owes their careers to him passing on whatever project it is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what anyone tells you. It doesn\u2019t matter how friendly you are with the directors,” Bale added. “All those people that I\u2019ve worked with multiple times, they all offered every one of those roles to him first. Right? I had one of those people actually tell me that. So, thank you, Leo, because literally, he gets to choose everything he does.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bale still has an extremely impressive resume of films despite losing a few to DiCaprio. These include American Psycho<\/a><\/em>, The Dark Knight<\/em> trilogy; The Machinist<\/em>, and his recent Edgar Allan Poe reimagining The Pale Blue Eye<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Claire Danes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Claire Danes in <\/em>Romeo + Juliet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of Leo DiCaprio, there was another potential Titanic <\/em>casting that didn’t come to fruition \u2014 Claire Danes in the role of Rose, which, as we all know, ultimately went to Kate Winslet. Danes had just starred opposite DiCaprio in Romeo + Juliet<\/em>, so there was “strong interest” in her playing Rose, she told Dax Shepard<\/a> on the Armchair Expert<\/em> podcast, but that she was “not ready” for the public attention that such a massive role would bring her. Imagine, for a moment, Claire Danes and Christian Bale as Rose and Jack. How different the world would be!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Leonardo DiCaprio<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Leonardo
Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort in <\/em>The Wolf of Wall Street<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Did you think that ole’ Leo was immune to missing out on roles? The Titanic<\/em> star famously turned down<\/a> the part of Tom Ripley in The Talented Mr. Ripley<\/em>, opting to do The Beach<\/em> instead. Ripley ultimately went to Matt Damon, who was hot off the success of Good Will Hunting<\/em>. I personally think DiCaprio would have made a better Mr. Ripley, but what do I know?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DiCaprio also turned down<\/a> the role of Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights<\/em>, which ended up going to Mark Wahlberg. DiCaprio had to choose between that and Titanic<\/em>, so ultimately it seems like he made the right choice there, even though both are great and successful films.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Amanda Seyfried <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Amanda
Amanda Seyfried in <\/em>Skin & Bone, courtesy of Indy Shorts<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Other stars who turned down big movies include Rachel McAdams’ Mean Girls<\/em> castmate Amanda Seyfriend had the chance to play Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy<\/em> before the part went to Zoe Saldana. But she turned it down because she didn’t believe the movie was going to be a success with audiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“”I didn’t want to be part of the first Marvel movie that bombed,” she told The Hollywood Reporter<\/em>‘s Awards Chatter<\/a><\/em> podcast. “I said, ‘Who wants to see a movie about a talking tree and a raccoon?’ Which is clearly \u2013 I was very wrong.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The script was great, it was all based on not wanting to be ‘that guy,’ ” she clarified. “Because if you’re the star of a giant movie like that, and it bombs, Hollywood does not forgive you. I’ve seen that happen to people and it was a giant, giant fear. I thought, is it worth it?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seyfried has had many great roles regardless, like Mamma Mia<\/em>, Letters to Juliet<\/em>, and Hulu’s The Dropout<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Viggo Mortensen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Tony
Viggo Mortensen in <\/em>Green Book<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Green Book<\/em> star could have played Wolverine in X-Men<\/em> instead of Hugh Jackman. Mortensen told the Happy Sad Confused<\/em> podcast that he turned it down years before he ever starred in Lord of the Rings<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The thing that bothered me at the time was just the commitment of endless movies of that same character over and over. I was nervous about that,” Mortensen said on the Happy Sad Confused<\/a><\/em> podcast. “And also there were some things \u2014 I mean, they straightened most of them out, but I did take [my son] Henry to the meeting I had with the director as my sort of good luck charm and guide. In the back of my mind, I was thinking he could learn something, too, because I did let Henry read the script and he goes, ‘This is wrong. That’s not how it is.'”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henry ended up telling the director, Bryan Singer, his opinions about the script, which is pretty hilarious and adorable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“All of a sudden, the director is falling all over himself and then the rest of the meeting was him explaining in detail to Henry why he was taking certain liberties,” Mortensen said. “We walked out of there, and Henry asks if he will change the things he told him about, and I say, ‘I don’t think so. I’m not going to do it anyway, because I’m not sure I want to be doing this for years. And then, a couple of years later, I’m doing three Lord of the Rings<\/em>, so who knows.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mortensen’s choice was probably for the best!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Every Hollywood star probably has a story about a role they almost had before it went to someone else and […]","protected":false},"author":1734,"featured_media":1158392,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"disable_comments":false,"tpd_featured_posts_arr":"","hide_featured_img_single_post":false,"msn_featured_video":[],"_msn_custom_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4511,11],"tags":[40892,9571,3422,2137],"feeds":[],"class_list":["post-1161776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-acting","category-news","tag-claire-danes","tag-leonardo-dicaprio","tag-nicholas-hoult","tag-rachel-mcadams"],"primary_category":{"term_id":4511,"name":"Acting","slug":"acting","taxonomy":"category","url":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/category\/archives\/moviemaking\/acting\/"},"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=420,height=280,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Leonardo-DiCaprio.jpg","fimg_url_thumb":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=420,height=280,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Leonardo-DiCaprio.jpg","featured_img_medium":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=675,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Leonardo-DiCaprio.jpg","author_name":"Margeaux Sippell","author_avatar":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=100,height=100,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image_6487327.jpg","author_link":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/author\/margeaux-sippell\/","post_categories":["Acting"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"7 Stars Who Missed Out on Big Movie Roles, From Rachel McAdams to Nicholas Hoult","url":"http:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/stars-who-missed-out-big-movie-roles\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/stars-who-missed-out-big-movie-roles\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=420,height=280,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Leonardo-DiCaprio.jpg","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=675,height=450,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Leonardo-DiCaprio.jpg"},"articleSection":"Acting","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Margeaux Sippell"}],"creator":["Margeaux Sippell"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"MovieMaker Magazine","logo":"https:\/\/www.moviemaker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/mm_site_logo-2.svg"},"keywords":["claire danes","leonardo dicaprio","nicholas hoult","rachel mcadams"],"dateCreated":"2023-06-09T21:27:00Z","datePublished":"2023-06-09T21:27:00Z","dateModified":"2023-07-16T16:01:50Z"},"rendered":"