Don’t Take The Rejection Too Personally
You don’t always get what you want, and that certainly applies even to megastars. This list proves that many A-listers had bad luck with auditioning at times.
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez seems to have a history of big movies she auditioned for and nearly missed. Often in the realm of the musical, they included Evita and Chicago.
Albert L. Ortega, Getty ImagesJennifer Lopez
Lopez narrowly missing out on an Oscar nomination for Hustlers back in 2019 maybe proves she’s got bad luck when it comes to respect. But that prestigious role she’s been waiting for could still come along at some point.
Bob Odenkirk
It would be hard to remember this, but back in Spring 2005 when the American remake of The Office premiered, Steve Carell actually would’ve been less known than Bob Odenkirk. The latter, of course, had years of comedy experience, like Mr Show, under his belt.
Mr. Show | The Audition Sketch | HBO Max, Max
Bob Odenkirk
That being said, Carell got the role, and his A-list comedy career was born. Odenkirk, reflecting on losing the role, said that he was “too earnest”.
the1secondfilm.com at https://www.flickr.com/photos/the1secondfilm/, Wikimedia Commons
Vince Vaughn
A couple of years before he would break out with Swingers, Vince Vaughn came close to nabbing the role of dimwitted actor Joey on Friends. One feels like Vaughn would’ve brought a more aggressive edge than Matt LeBlanc to the character.
The Ones with Simple Joey | Friends, Friends
Vince Vaughn
Allegedly, Vaughn didn’t quite have the right chemistry with the rest of the cast. That was an important factor that made the show so popular after all.
Swingers | 'You're a Big Winner' (HD) | Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau | 1996, Miramax
Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx got his chance to work opposite Tom Cruise in 2004’s Collateral, but it could’ve happened earlier. He auditioned for Jerry Maguire in the 90s, for what one imagines would’ve been Cuba Gooding Jr’s Academy Award-winning role.
Collateral (2004) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers, Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers
Jamie Foxx
During a Howard Stern interview, Foxx chalked up not getting the role to being too starstruck during the audition opposite Cruise. This was Cruise at his peak after all, so who can blame him?
Cynthia Nixon
Just because you don’t nail the audition for one character doesn’t mean you won’t end up on the show. Just ask Cynthia Nixon, who initially came into the room to try out for Carrie on Sex & the City.
Carrie Bradshaw Meets Big's New Wife | Sex And The City | HBO, HBO
Cynthia Nixon
Of course, the people behind the show still saw Nixon’s qualities as an actor and cast her as Miranda. It’s somewhat hard to see her as Carrie for sure.
MIRANDA HOBBES: Did she deserve better?!. SATC most skeptical character., So I watched...
Jennifer Lawrence
What helps build a future star’s character is a lot of rejection. This was the case with Jennifer Lawrence, who seemed to skyrocket to fame in her early 20s.
Mingle MediaTV, Wikimedia Commons
Jennifer Lawrence
Lawrence states that she lost out on the lead roles in blockbusters like Alice in Wonderland and Twilight. In the long run, it was probably more important that she got the lead in the indie flick Winter’s Bone, which nabbed her first Oscar nomination.
WINTER'S BONE - Official US Theatrical Trailer in HD, RoadsideFlix
Brie Larson
Academy Award winner Brie Larson had her fair share of bad luck with franchise material. She counts The Hunger Games, Star Wars, and Terminator amongst the intellectual property she didn’t get cast in.
Mirko Toller, Wikimedia Commons
Brie Larson
Larson later struck tentpole glory with Marvel, which eased the sting a bit. She just needed an Oscar to her name, evidently.
Avengers Endgame - All Captain Marvel Scenes, CPTNMRVL
Timothee Chalamet
Timothee Chalamet and Tom Holland have often been pitted against each other, and this was maybe clearest when the latter won the role of Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Homecoming over the former. Of course, neither was high-profile when the casting happened.
SPIDER-MAN HOMECOMING Best Action Scenes 4K ᴴᴰ, ONE Media
Timothee Chalamet
That being said, Chalamet has had a much more prestigious acting career, with two Best Actor nominations to his name. In the long run, he probably is happy to have not been tied down in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years.
Maximilian Bühn, Wikimedia Commons
Matthew McConaughey
Titanic’s Jack Dawson was one of the most pursued roles in Hollywood during 1996, with Billy Crudup, Stephen Dorff, and Chris O’Donnell amongst the candidates. Who came extremely close to nailing the role was Matthew McConaughey, who had shot to instant stardom at the time.
[Titanic] Jack Dawson - To make it count, Make it count
Matthew McConaughey
McConaughey recalls feeling that he had nailed the audition, but still didn’t end up getting the role. It was such a star-making performance for DiCaprio that it’s hard to imagine the alternate course of film history.
Larger Than Life - Tip Tucker, midnightmoviemaven
Freddie Prinze Jr
Back when they were making the original Spider-Man, the title role seemed to come down to popularity versus prestige. For the former was teen heartthrob Freddie Prinze Jr, and for the latter, acclaimed dramatic actor Tobey Maguire.
Spider-Man Movie (2002) - Peter vs. Flash Scene (1/10) | Movieclips, Movieclips
Freddie Prinze Jr
The rest is history, but Freddy Prinze Jr, who was a dedicated fan of the comics, really regrets to this day missing out on the role. He blames it on blowing his meeting with director Sam Raimi by spending too much time talking about 90s comics lore.
David Shankbone, Wikimedia Commons
Kurt Russell
It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Harrison Ford as Han Solo, but Kurt Russell came close. It would’ve been interesting to see him find a way to play the role as a variation on John Wayne, as he did in countless other movies.
Han Solo & Leia - I Love You, I Know (HD), RGitti
Kurt Russell
Getting to play his own sci-fi rebel, Snake Plissken, years later in Escape From New York, Russell got to be an even cooler Han Solo. Maybe not as much residual money, admittedly.
''Call me Snake'' (Escape from New York -1981), Empire State Studios
Meryl Streep
It’s hard to imagine Meryl Streep, the most prestigious actress of all time, being turned away for any role, but it happened. The film in question was the 1976 remake of King Kong.
Jack Mitchell, Wikimedia Commons
Meryl Streep
The story goes that notorious producer Dino De Laurentiis turned Streep down for the role due to her allegedly not being beautiful enough. Frankly, Streep lucked out by not being in that stinker.
Justin Sewell, Wikimedia Commons
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper has largely built up a prestigious career by avoiding too much in the way of franchise stuff. You can say his voicing a raccoon in multiple Marvel movies doesn’t count because he never actually appeared onscreen.
Carlos González Santos from Madrid, España, Wikimedia Commons
Bradley Cooper
Cooper flirted with superhero stardom, though, by auditioning for the title role in 2011’s Green Lantern. He lucked out not getting the role, as the film soon became a laughingstock.
Green Lantern - Trailer, Warner Bros.
Robert De Niro
It’s hard to imagine Robert De Niro in his prime getting turned down for anything, but he lost the role of Sonny in The Godfather to James Caan. Maybe De Niro was just meant for something bigger.
The Godfather, 1972/ Tom Hagen vs Sonny Corleone, Study With Jennifer Corleone Wu
Robert De Niro
Of course, Robert De Niro would end up appearing in The Godfather Part II and winning an Academy Award for it. Clearly, they remembered him from the audition.
GODFATHER LANDLORD 'DOG STAYS ' SCENE EPIC ROBERT DE NIRO- HD, How To
Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde initially auditioned for the role of Marissa on The OC, which ended up going to Mischa Barton. While Barton hasn’t done much lately, that was certainly an iconic role for her.
The OC - Ryan and Marissa Scene 1.01
Olivia Wilde
Wilde later got to appear on the show, playing Marissa’s brief queer love interest, Alex. Again, tabs were clearly kept on her by the producers.
Ryan and Seth Meets Alex | The OC - 2x03, SPN Clips
John Krasinski
Before he beefed up for 13 Hours and Jack Ryan, the idea of Jim from The Office as an action hero was pretty laughable. But even then, people at Marvel thought there may have been something there.
John Krasinski
Krasinski was considered for the role of Captain America, which ended up going to Chris Evans. He later made a cameo poking fun at it in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Captain America All Fight Scene & More Civil War HD (Blue- Ray), Afg Gamerdogs
Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller’s early acting career wasn’t always defined by broad comedy. For one, you may remember him popping up in Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun as a POW.
Hey kid, would you like a hershey bar?, FINDADMAGUS' Media Museum
Ben Stiller
What might have changed Stiller’s trajectory was having a role in the Academy Award-winning hit My Cousin Vinny. To this day, he regrets not nailing the audition for it.
My Cousin Vinny (5/5) Movie CLIP - Automotive Expert (1992) HD, Movieclips
Reese Witherspoon
Between Reese Witherspoon and Alicia Silverstone, it’s not hard to deduce who’s had more career longevity. That being said, the former once lost out to the latter.
Clueless (1995) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers, Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers
Reese Witherspoon
Back in the 90s, Witherspoon lost out on the role of Cher in Clueless to Silverstone. She got her own iconic teen role years later, though, in 1999’s Election.
Election (1999) Official Trailer #1 - Reese Witherspoon Movie HD, Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers
Emma Stone
Even on the way to being a two-time Academy Award-winning A-lister, there’s a lot of rejection. Just ask Emma Stone, who’s had a number of roles she didn’t get.
Gordon Correll, Wikimedia Commons
Emma Stone
The ones she counts amongst them are Alice in Wonderland and the television series Friday Night Lights. But it’s true that every rejection in some ways can make you more motivated.
Alice In Wonderland Clip Alice Falls Into a Rabbit Hole 2010 HD, Alice in Wonderland
Jake Gyllenhaal
Sometimes, a bad audition comes down to not feeling it, and even more specifically, not understanding it. Such was the case with a young Jake Gyllenhaal when he auditioned for Frodo in The Lord of the Rings.
LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring - The Shire - (HDR - 4K - 5.1), 4K HDR Media
Jake Gyllenhaal
Gyllenhaal calls the audition a humiliating experience where he didn’t understand either the stage directions or what accent he was supposed to use. This seems to come down to his agent, who didn’t prepare him enough.
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