Star Auditions Winners and Losers

[Deleted]

I found this article and thought it was interesting to see who auditioned for some famous movie roles.

It sounds so unlikely that Johnny Depp should ever lose out on parts, but once upon a time before ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, it was seen as a risk to have the unpredictable brooding actor in lead blockbuster roles. Despite auditioning, Depp missed out on ‘Ghost Rider’ (to Nicolas Cage), ‘Mr and Mrs Smith’ (to Brad Pitt) and ‘Titanic’ (to Leonardo DiCaprio).

Would we still have Brangelina if Johnny Depp was Mr. Smith?

Two actresses of a similar age and status in Hollywood are bound to come up against each other from time to time vying for parts, and when it came to rom-com ‘The Runaway Bride’ in 1999, the chemistry between ‘Pretty Woman’ co-stars Richard Gere and Julia Roberts was sure to generate another winner, which meant Sandra Bullock went home empty-handed.

Sandra Bullock may have gone home empty-handed way back when, but it's Julia Robert's turn to cry now.

Here's more

[sueli]

I still can't picture Star Wars[/s] starring Robbie Benson, Jodie Foster, and Christopher Walken.

And I think we have an idea of what Indiana Jones would of been like had he been portrayed by Tom Sellick.

[Deleted]

I call BS (on the article, not the OP) on the Runaway Bride anecdote, because Garry Marshall had been trying for years to make another Pretty Woman-style vehicle for Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Maybe Sandra took a meeting, but that movie was always supposed to be Julia's.
Interesting stuff otherwise, though. Everytime I don't get cast in community theater, it helps to remember how Clooney lost to Pitt for the drifter in Thelma and Louise...

[angelaudie]

I call BS (on the article, not the OP) on the Runaway Bride anecdote, because Garry Marshall had been trying for years to make another Pretty Woman-style vehicle for Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Maybe Sandra took a meeting, but that movie was always supposed to be Julia's.

Film projects often change hands before the final cast and behind-the-scenes people are selected. It's possible somebody prior to Gary Marshall had the film and wanted Sandra. Or perhaps Gary Marshall did briefly consider Sandra before it occurred to him that maybe "Runaway Bride" would be the perfect Julia/Richard film.

I heard several of the "What could have been" before. The one that amuses me especially is Melissa George trying to land "Tomb Raider". I think that's only because I've read the full quote MG gave and she made it sound like the producers actually wanted her but had to settle for Angelina. Yeah, I'm sure the producers were heartbroken to have to "settle" for a freaking Oscar winner!

I don't know if it's true or not but I read Jennifer Lopez tried out for Lucilla in "Gladiator". All I can say is thank goodness Connie Nielsen landed the part!

[kateln]

Didn't Sissy Spacek try out for Princess Leia? And Tom Sellack as Indiana Jones?

[sumire]

Tom Selleck actually won the part of Indiana Jones, but CBS wouldn't release him from his Magnum P.I. contract, so he had to turn down the movie role (sez Wikipedia).

When I was a little kid, I was thrilled when Magnum did kind of a Raiders-homage episode, but at the time, I had no idea that Tom Selleck had that bittersweet connection to both of them.

[divasahm]

When Roger Moore retired from the Bond series, there was a huge push to have then-TV star Pierce Brosnan take his place--but NBC wouldn't let him out of his "Remington Steele" contract, so Timothy Dalton got the role. By the time Brosnan finally got to play Bond, the moment had kind of passed.

[Deleted]

Reagan was up for Bogart's role in Casablanca. Which sounds like some kind of evil, twisted alternate universe version of Casablanca...