The Roles That Got Away

Hollywood casting history is full of near misses, but these stories are better documented than the usual “almost cast” trivia. In each case, the actress herself, a filmmaker, or a reputable publication confirmed the opportunity. Not every replacement was unknown, but each role became a major signature part for the woman who ultimately took it.

Universal Pictures, Wikimedia Commons

Christina Applegate Saw Too Much Kelly Bundy In Elle Woods

Christina Applegate said she passed on Legally Blonde because Elle Woods seemed too similar on paper to the character she had just played for years on Married... with Children. She later called it a mistake, though she also said Reese Witherspoon became impossible to imagine replacing as Elle.

Screenshot from Married... with Children, Fox (1987–1997), Enhanced

Molly Ringwald Passed On Pretty Woman

Molly Ringwald confirmed that she rejected Pretty Woman because she disliked the story and felt uncomfortable with its premise. Vivian Ward went to Julia Roberts, whose performance in the 1990 romance became her breakthrough as a major Hollywood leading lady.

Panio Gianopoulos, Wikimedia Commons

Rachel McAdams Said No To The Devil Wears Prada Three Times

Director David Frankel said the studio offered Rachel McAdams the role of Andy Sachs three times, but she was determined not to do it while stepping back from Hollywood. Anne Hathaway took the role, adding one of the most recognizable movies of her career to her résumé.

SpreePiX Berlin, Wikimedia Commons

Michelle Pfeiffer Couldn't Get Past The Silence Of The Lambs' Darkness

Michelle Pfeiffer said she passed on The Silence of the Lambs because she was uncomfortable with the story’s darkness and ending. Jodie Foster played Clarice Starling instead, winning her second Best Actress Oscar and becoming permanently associated with the thriller.

Eric Robert, Getty Images

Claire Danes Wasn't Ready For Titanic

Claire Danes said there was strong interest in her playing Rose in Titanic, but she had just made Romeo + Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio and was not ready for another enormous romance. Kate Winslet took the part, and the blockbuster made her an international star.

Screenshot from Romeo + Juliet, 20th Century Fox (1996)

Jodie Foster Couldn't Break A Disney Contract For Star Wars

Jodie Foster confirmed that she was offered Princess Leia in Star Wars when the filmmakers were considering a younger version of the character. She was already committed to a Disney project, so Carrie Fisher took the role that would define her screen legacy.

Kevin Payravi, Wikimedia Commons

Emma Watson Chose Beauty And The Beast Over La La Land

Emma Watson explained that an early version of La La Land involved her, but its timing conflicted with the extensive preparation required for Beauty and the Beast. Emma Stone eventually played Mia and won the Best Actress Oscar for the musical.

Screenshot from Beauty and the Beast, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (2017)

Sarah Polley Walked Away From Almost Famous

Sarah Polley was originally cast as Penny Lane in Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous, but she left the production and was replaced by Kate Hudson. The role became Hudson’s breakthrough, earning her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

nicolas genin from Paris, France, Wikimedia Commons

Dana Delany Said No To Carrie Bradshaw

Dana Delany confirmed that Sex and the City creator Darren Star approached her about playing Carrie Bradshaw. She declined because she had recently made several projects centered on sex, leaving Sarah Jessica Parker to take the role that became her defining television character.

Steve Granitz, Getty Images

Kate Hudson Chose The Four Feathers Over Spider-Man

Kate Hudson confirmed in 2025 that she passed on Mary Jane Watson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and chose The Four Feathers instead. Kirsten Dunst played Mary Jane across Raimi’s trilogy, making the character one of her most recognizable roles.

Screenshot from The Four Feathers, Paramount Pictures (2002)

Debra Winger Quit A League Of Their Own

Debra Winger had been cast as Dottie Hinson in A League of Their Own and trained for months before leaving after Madonna joined the ensemble. Geena Davis replaced her, and Dottie became one of the most enduring characters of Davis’s career.

Michael Putland, Getty Images

Angela Bassett Passed On Monster's Ball

Angela Bassett said she turned down the lead in Monster’s Ball because she objected to what she saw as a damaging stereotype in the role. Halle Berry accepted it and won the Academy Award for Best Actress, becoming the first Black woman to win that category.

Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia Commons

Bette Midler Didn't Want The Wimple In Sister Act

Sister Act was originally written with Bette Midler in mind, but Midler said she declined because she thought her audience would not want to see her dressed as a nun. Whoopi Goldberg took over as Deloris Van Cartier, creating one of her most enduring screen personas.

Rob Bogaerts for Anefo, Wikimedia Commons

Uma Thurman Turned Down Eowyn

Uma Thurman confirmed that she turned down Éowyn in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy after recently having her first child. She later called it one of her worst decisions, while Miranda Otto ultimately made Éowyn her best-known international role.

Siebbi, Wikimedia Commons

Drew Barrymore Gave Up Scream's Lead On Purpose

Drew Barrymore was initially considered for Sidney Prescott in Scream, but she chose the smaller opening role of Casey Becker. Neve Campbell ultimately became Sidney, turning the resourceful survivor into the character most closely associated with her film career.

Screenshot from Scream, Dimension Films (1996)

Emma Thompson Passed On Basic Instinct

Emma Thompson was among the actresses who declined Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct, choosing Howards End instead and winning an Oscar for that film. Sharon Stone took Catherine, and the thriller turned her into one of the biggest movie stars of the early 1990s.

Screenshot from Howards End, Sony Pictures Classics (1992)

Chaka Khan Didn't See Herself As Shug Avery

Chaka Khan recalled that Steven Spielberg approached her about playing Shug Avery in The Color Purple, but she did not consider herself a film actor. Margaret Avery took the part, which became her first major film role and earned her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.

Soul Train, Getty Images

Julia Roberts Left Shakespeare In Love

Julia Roberts was attached to play Viola in an early version of Shakespeare in Love, but the production collapsed after she left during the search for a male lead. The revived film starred Gwyneth Paltrow, whose performance won the Best Actress Oscar.

Richard Hartog, Getty Images

Miranda Richardson Rejected Fatal Attraction

Miranda Richardson said she rejected Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction because she strongly disliked the script and its treatment of women. Glenn Close took the part, and the film became a defining 1980s thriller while earning Close a Best Actress Oscar nomination.

LGI Stock, Getty Images

Doris Day Turned Down Mrs. Robinson

Doris Day wrote that she was offered Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate but declined because the role clashed with her personal values. Anne Bancroft played the part opposite Dustin Hoffman, helping make the film one of the defining American movies of its era.

Hulton Archive, Getty Images

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Sources: 1, 2