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Will Smith Turned Down The Role Of Neo In "The Matrix", Eventually Played By Keanu Reeves

Final score:

167points

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Cathal 3 years ago

Nicolas Cage auditioned for this and every other film on this entire list :P

118points

Thomas Brodie-Sangster Auditioned For The Part Of Ron Weasley In "Harry Potter", Rupert Grint Was Cast

Final score:

165points

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MyPrecious 3 years ago

no way Rupert way too good to be rejected he is the one and only ron for the job

90points

There’s something about the strong characters we like that makes us feel deeply attached to them. Like, genuinely attached as we feel their pains and joys just like they were our close friends or relatives.

The topic is no stranger to academic scholars and Howard Sklar, a postdoctoral researcher in the English Philology Unit at the University of Helsinki, has his own theory. Turns out, our bond with fictional characters reflects our bond with people in the real world.

“We’d have no way of processing a character cognitively if we didn’t have experiences with people outside of the fictional world,” he explains. “The experiences with fictional characters resonate with us because of the fact that we’ve had deep experiences with people throughout our lives.”

John Travolta Turned Down The Role Of Forrest Gump, Eventually Played By Tom Hanks

Final score:

159points

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Lxm 3 years ago

Good

282points

Sean Connery Said No To Playing Gandalf In "The Lord Of The Rings", Ian Mckellen Took The Part

Final score:

157points

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Daria Z 3 years ago

Sir Connery would be a great Gandalf too :)

32points

Ian Mckellen Turned Down The Part Of Albus Dumbledore In "Harry Potter", Michael Gambon Was Cast

Final score:

154points

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Daria Z 3 years ago

Well, it would be confusing to see Gandalf in Hogwarts :)

305points

Vic 3 years ago

Yes image the state of students answering their OWLs or NEWTs, when the professor yells "YOUU SHAALL NOT PAASS!!"

61points

Ozacoter 3 years ago

He would have been a great Dumbledore. But confusing, yes.

21points

Eliška Hůlková 3 years ago

Gandalf that wants to rule over humanity with his magnetism-based mutant powers is bad enough already 😂

11points

Ray Martin 3 years ago

Was it confusing to see Magneto in Lord Of The Rings? It's what great actors do, and Ian McKellen would have been faithful to the role established by Richard Harris, instead of crapping all over it like Michael Gambon did.

4points

Exotic Panda 3 years ago

they should totally do a crossover!

4points

Artsy Bookworm 2 years ago

But they practically look the same...

1point

Noelle (she/her) 3 years ago

There were two different actors playing Dumbledore; Richard Harries played him in the first 2 movies then he died of cancer and Michael Gambon became the new Dumbledore.

21points

Dash Blue 3 years ago

Richard Harris was cast first. He was so good. He gave up the role after he died. Death so often has a negative effect upon a career.

16points

Lord Ponsonby 3 years ago

'he gave up the role after he died', it's that kind of indifference I've grown to expect from the hollywood elite.

7points

third molar 3 years ago

Frodo never realized the ring is a horcrux!!

15points

Amanita Virosa 3 years ago

I think I read a story about an interview with Ian Mckellen. Ian said he was doing the LOR at the time and could not play Dumbledore.

9points

Piper McLean 3 years ago

When I watched the hobbit I thought they were the same actor

6points

Alexis draskinis 3 years ago

I can see why though. No one wants to be type cast & seeing as though they are different people but look very similar (costuming-wise) it could've put him into the "he only plays 100yr old wizards" type situations. And we got him as Magneto instead & he was my favorite part of those movies!

6points

tomruns12 3 years ago

He made the right decision. He would have been a great Dumbledore but It would have merged the franchises and ruined both of them.

6points

MyPrecious 3 years ago

ian would have been perfect but I have to say Michael and Richard aced it too

4points

maya P.K 2 years ago

i like the one in the first two movies better... shame he died. i kinda think that the second one didnt behave like dumbledor, he was rougher and not very calm like the previos one or the one in the books. he was okay thoug!

2points

Slinkman 3 years ago

He would have been great, Michael Gambon was really not a good fit. Way to angry small and fat, not the tall calm wise father figure from the books. But Gandalf and Dumbledore would have been to Similar. So it's good the way it went.

2points

Signe Manat Hansen 3 years ago

You mean sir Richard Harris. Gambon took over when Harris died.

2points

third molar 3 years ago

Opportunity for crossover missed ;)

2points

Kamal Makama 2 years ago

It took me a while to realize it's not the same cast on these two flicks😂

1point

John Baker 3 years ago

Richard Harris was the perfect Dumbledore.

1point

von Funnyname 3 years ago

Curious... did he turn it down after the OG Dumbledore passed away, or was he in the running for the OG role?

1point

로희 3 years ago

From Wikipedia: Ian McKellen was offered the role, but he turned it down, having played the similar character Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as feeling it would have been inappropriate to take Harris' role, as Harris had called McKellen a "dreadful" actor.

9points

Jon & Vicky P 2 years ago

Twinning.

0points

Ashley Jernigan 2 years ago

Good. Michael Gambon is THE Dumbledore. No one could've done a better job after the original.

0points

Morgan Fairchild 2 years ago

They look like twins!!

0points

FreyaShips 2 years ago

as long as Dumbledore has a long beard and hair I'm fine

0points

Morgoth Bauglir 2 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

0points

Kasey Lee Bao Ting 2 years ago

YEAH, BECAUSE HE PLAYED GANDALF!!!

0points

Kasey Lee Bao Ting 3 years ago

NO WAY. THERE IS ONLY ONE DUMBLEDORE: MICHAEL GAMBON

0points

beavis 3 years ago

Tbh most old white men with so much hair that you can only see their eyes look very similar if not the same

0points

your socially awkward cousin 3 years ago

to me, they honestly look very similar

0points

Devil's Advocate 3 years ago

Michael Gambon was the second best Dumbledore

0points

Teresa Groth 3 years ago

Wonderful choice!

0points

Just another bot 3 years ago

He would be perfect for it, but too close to LOR. Yet another wizard...looking much the same?

0points

Dana Hill 3 years ago

Well, no. Richard Harris was Cast. Gambon took over after Harris died.

0points

Hannah Edwards 3 years ago

My son thinks they’re the same person anyway.

0points

Tarryn Louise 3 years ago

They are basically twins in character

0points

The Aussie Gal 3 years ago

good

0points

MandaPanda 3 years ago

These, aren't the same man???

0points

CrEaTiVe_duck 3 years ago

How does one decline the part of DUMBLEDORE!!

0points

Ola Polowczyk 3 years ago

One does not simply... Oh wait, they do! 😁

0points

zims 3 years ago

He would have done such a good job

0points

Kay blue 3 years ago

Ian turned it down because he had some beef with the original Dumbledore, Richard Harris.

0points

Sasha Kuleshov 3 years ago

Good call, I love me some Michael <3

0points

King Joffrey 3 years ago

I think he did the right thing. An actor such as him couldn't risk being pigeon-holed.

0points

The 5-star rated 5-star rating system 3 years ago

Yeah, I remember reading about this. Apparently, Richard Harris who played Dumbledore in the 1st 2 HP films was not a fan of Sir Ian Mckellen.

0points

kjorn 3 years ago

didn't want to get a grey barb again

0points

Janine B. 3 years ago (edited)

Ian McKellen turned down the role because Richard Gambon didn't like his way of acting. “Sometimes, when I see the posters of Mike Gambon, the actor who gloriously plays Dumbledore, I think sometimes it is me,” 😂

-1point

And as we invest our attention, time, and empathy in the characters of a particularly engaging film or novel, we begin to respond to them as though they were real individuals. Even if we cannot truly connect with their circumstances, e.g. we have never been in a war, our ability to feel emotionally for fictional beings can transcend these details and make them unimportant. This is what powerful filmmaking and the art of storytelling do to us.

Tom Cruise Was Considered For The Part Of Iron Man, But Robert Downey, Jr Was Cast

Final score:

152points

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ahmad fauzi md sharif 3 years ago

Nahh....Iron Man would have been running everywhere instead of flying.

228points

Robin Williams Wanted To Play Rubeus Hagrid In "Harry Potter" But Was Rejected, Robbie Coltrane Got The Part

Final score:

150points

POST

Verena 3 years ago

Only British actors were cast.

172points

Jim Carrey Was Considered To Play Edward Scissorhands, Johnny Depp Got The Part

Final score:

148points

POST

Lxm 3 years ago

Jc would not have brought the wonderful whimsy that jd did to the role. Would have been just another joke.

172points

#10

Russell Crowe Turned Down The Role Of Aragorn In "The Lord Of The Rings", Eventually Played By Viggo Mortensen

Final score:

145points

POST

Kisses4Katie 3 years ago

Good casting.

159points

#11

Bette Midler Turned Down The Part Of Sister Mary Clarence In "Sister Act", Eventually Played By Whoopi Goldberg

Final score:

138points

POST

MyPrecious 3 years ago

hey whoopis Goldberg is in another movie called corrina corrina it is an amazing movie

61points

#12

Eddie Redmayne Auditioned For The Part Of Star-Lord In "Guardians Of The Galaxy", But Chris Pratt Was Cast

Final score:

121points

POST

Kisses4Katie 3 years ago

Oh thank everything

203points

#13

Al Pacino Turned Down The Part Of Han Solo In "Star Wars", Eventually Played By Harrison Ford

Final score:

120points

POST

Daria Z 3 years ago

Why are these two pictures from different time periods?

133points

#14

Matthew Mcconaughey Auditioned For The Role Of Jack Dawson In "Titanic", Eventually Played By Leonardo Dicaprio

Final score:

119points

POST

Kisses4Katie 3 years ago

Alright alright alRose

168points

#15

Christina Applegate Was Considered For The Role Of Elle Woods In "Legally Blonde", Eventually Played By Reese Witherspoon

Final score:

117points

POST

Jonathan 3 years ago

Both played Rachels sisters in Friends!

129points

#16

Ryan Gosling Was Considered For The Role Of Doctor Strange, Eventually Played By Benedict Cumberbatch

Final score:

115points

POST

Janine B. 3 years ago

There's only one Doctor.

150points

Paul Giamatt Declined The Role Of Michael Scott In "The Office", Steve Carell Got The Part

Final score:

114points

POST

tuzdayschild 3 years ago

HURRAY!

124points

#18

Emily Blunt Was The First Choice To Play Black Widow, But Scarlett Johansson Got The Part

Final score:

112points

POST

Vic 3 years ago

I've read she's been offered Marvel roles multiple times, but couldn't take them up coz of date clashes. Scarlett Johansson is awesome, but Emily Blunt would have made an excellent Black Widow too..

180points

#19

Hugh Grant Was Considered For The Part Of Gilderoy Lockhart In "Harry Potter", But Kenneth Branagh Was Cast

Final score:

111points

POST

Wendillon 3 years ago

Hugh probably would have made a pretty good Lockhart too

220points

#20

Gwyneth Paltrow Turned Down The Role Of Rose Dewitt Bukater In "Titanic", Kate Winslet Got The Part

Final score:

110points

POST

TTourist 3 years ago

Good decision.

218points

#21

Emilia Clarke Turned Down The Role Of Anastasia Steele In "Fifty Shades Of Grey", Eventually Played By Dakota Johnson

Final score:

108points

POST

Kisses4Katie 3 years ago

Yeah poor girl didn't want to be associated with sex roles for everything.

177points

#22

Liam Aiken Was Offered The Role Of Harry Potter, But Daniel Radcliffe Got The Part

Final score:

104points

POST

Janine B. 3 years ago

Just considering his looks, he would have been a good choice, too.

106points

#23

Joanne Rowling Was Asked To Play Lily Potter In "Harry Potter", But She Declined, Geraldine Somerville Got The Part

Final score:

102points

POST

Daria Z 3 years ago

Oh but that would be neat as she's actually the one who created him.

145points

#24

Hugh Jackman Turned Down The Role Of James Bond, Eventually Played By Daniel Craig

Final score:

99points

POST

Rose the Cook 3 years ago

That could have been interesting.

170points

Henry Cavill Was The First Pick To Play Edward Cullen In "Twilight", Robert Pattinson Was Cast For The Role

Final score:

99points

POST

Katy F 3 years ago

Good decision, I don't see Henry as an Edward Cullen lol

94points

#26

David Thewlis Was Considered For The Role Of Quirinus Quirrell In "Harry Potter", Eventually Played By Ian Hart

Final score:

98points

POST

MyPrecious 3 years ago

but he got remus lupin, that's a better part and he is amazing

241points

#27

Britney Spears Auditioned For The Part Of Allie In "The Notebook", Eventually Played By Rachel Mcadams

Final score:

94points

POST

Bole Perishon 3 years ago

In spite of her attempts, Britney Spears can not be categorised as "actress".

169points

#28

Jennifer Lawrence Auditioned For The Role Of Bella Swan In "Twilight", But Kristen Stewart Was Cast Instead

Final score:

90points

POST

Jonathan 3 years ago

Kristen Stewart is an awful actor 😂

186points

#29

Emma Watson Turned Down The Part Of Mia In "La La Land", Emma Stone Was Cast

Final score:

89points

POST

로희 3 years ago

I love both Emmas but I think Stone was the better choice.

94points

#30

Jack Nicholson Passed On The Role Of Michael Corleone In "The Godfather", Eventually Played By Al Pacino

Final score:

86points

POST

birdie asf 3 years ago

Nope. the vibe would have been SUPER different and the movie wouldn't be the same without Al Pacino.

127points

Note: this post originally had 65 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

Liucija Adomaite is a creative mind with years of experience in copywriting. She has a dynamic set of experiences from advertising, academia, and journalism. This time, she has set out on a journey to investigate the ways in which we communicate ideas on a large scale. Her current mission is to find a magic formula for how to make ideas, news, and other such things spread like a virus.

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Denis is a photo editor at Bored Panda. After getting his bachelor's degree in Multimedia and Computer Design, he tried to succeed in digital design, advertising, and branding. Also, Denis really enjoys sports and loves everything related to board sports and water.

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What do you think ?

POST

Sasy 3 years ago

It seems like Harry Potter movies would have been very different, nearly every role was potentially another actor.

11points

Johnny Apples 3 years ago

You mean like every movie ever?

9points

The 5-star rated 5-star rating system 3 years ago

Here's an even crazier story: The Beatles were going to make a Lord of the Rings film in the mid- 1960's with *drumroll* Stanley Kubrick. The film would have featured original Beatles songs. Paul McCartney would portray Frodo Baggins, Ringo Starr as Sam Gamgee, George Harrison as Gandalf and John Lennon would appear as Gollum. Stanley Kubrick didn't like the idea and neither did J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien didn't want his work to be turned into an LSD trip and I have to say I think it would have been a disaster if he had let it happen.

10points

respulero 3 years ago (edited)

All the could-have-been had good carrers without those roles, many of the actual cast wouldnt have done without it. Anyway, if they had accepted the job, and they would appear in this post whith other actors (or the actual cast) as the could-have-beens, nothing would change and people would say exactly the same things "thank god, he/she was the perfect election for the role, it wouldnt be the same without him/her "

7points

Clare Toolis 2 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

0points

C. Mayo 3 years ago

I guess we're just doing movies here, but one of the worst TV mis-castings (in my opinion) was when the showrunners had initially cast Rosie Perez as Daphne Moon in Frasier. Thank goodness Jane Leeves won the part in the end!

3points

BoredDragon 3 years ago

You know, I always wondered who the ones were that were turned down...

2points

Canadian in Cornwall 3 years ago

Tom Selleck was to play Indiana Jones from the start, but he was contracted to film Magnum P.I and couldn't get out of it, so the role went to Harrison Ford. Selleck is good, but can you imagine him as Indy? I can't.

2points

Bear42212 3 years ago

I can

2points

Bee Jairrels 3 years ago

who is downvoting all these comments?

1point

Ethan Ruppert 3 years ago

Me……. Jk

1point

Jane Alexander 3 years ago

I'm eternally thankful that Gregory Peck was Ahab in Moby D**k! (the good one, the '56 film) Charlton Heston? aw hell no!

1point

Lightningstar 3 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

0points

Oscar Mozart Finch 3 years ago

Think of how different so many memes could've been

1point

F. H. 3 years ago

Hm, in most cases I just find myself thinking: Yeah, that would have worked too.

1point

Rainbow Panda 3 years ago

This is very interesting! 🦸‍♀️

1point

Cat 3 years ago

Is there some troll downvoting everything?

0points

brukernavn340 3 years ago

Probably one person with several users. Maybe it's one of those people that tend to impersonate BP staff? Someone having a grudge on BP perhaps?

5points

Katherine Boag 3 years ago

Would have been nice if every photo of the actor that didnt play the part was from the same year as the photo from the film/series

0points

SueG 3 years ago

The layout of the actors' photos throughout thus piece is inconsistent -- the could-have-beens on the left suddenly switch to the right, then back again. A bit frustrating.

0points

Wendillon 3 years ago

Glad I'm not the only one bothered by that

-1point

Lis Daglish 3 years ago

I find all of these really interesting. You can so clearly picture how a film would be dramatically changed, an entirely different mood, with alternate casting.

0points

Hilzillah 3 years ago

This! It's so true!

1point

Steve Barnett 3 years ago

In Reservoir Dogs the part of Mr Orange was originally offered to James Woods, but his agent didn't let him know and was subsequently fired because of this. I like Tim Roth, but I genuinely believe that James Woods would've been a better choice.

-2points

Meeow 3 years ago

The Matrix, Iron Man, The Silence Of The Lambs won't make any different both are good options, sister act, forrest gump, titanic, the god father, the notebook would be totally different movie. And Se7en would be more dramatic if Denzel take the role.

-2points

Nevits Yibble 3 years ago

What's with the Harry Potter fetish here

-2points

POST

Sasy 3 years ago

It seems like Harry Potter movies would have been very different, nearly every role was potentially another actor.

11points

Johnny Apples 3 years ago

You mean like every movie ever?

9points

The 5-star rated 5-star rating system 3 years ago

10points

respulero 3 years ago (edited)

7points

Clare Toolis 2 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

0points

C. Mayo 3 years ago

3points

BoredDragon 3 years ago

You know, I always wondered who the ones were that were turned down...

2points

Canadian in Cornwall 3 years ago

2points

Bear42212 3 years ago

I can

2points

Bee Jairrels 3 years ago

who is downvoting all these comments?

1point

Ethan Ruppert 3 years ago

Me……. Jk

1point

Jane Alexander 3 years ago

I'm eternally thankful that Gregory Peck was Ahab in Moby D**k! (the good one, the '56 film) Charlton Heston? aw hell no!

1point

Lightningstar 3 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

0points

Oscar Mozart Finch 3 years ago

Think of how different so many memes could've been

1point

F. H. 3 years ago

Hm, in most cases I just find myself thinking: Yeah, that would have worked too.

1point

Rainbow Panda 3 years ago

This is very interesting! 🦸‍♀️

1point

Cat 3 years ago

Is there some troll downvoting everything?

0points

brukernavn340 3 years ago

Probably one person with several users. Maybe it's one of those people that tend to impersonate BP staff? Someone having a grudge on BP perhaps?

5points

Katherine Boag 3 years ago

Would have been nice if every photo of the actor that didnt play the part was from the same year as the photo from the film/series

0points

SueG 3 years ago

The layout of the actors' photos throughout thus piece is inconsistent -- the could-have-beens on the left suddenly switch to the right, then back again. A bit frustrating.

0points

Wendillon 3 years ago

Glad I'm not the only one bothered by that

-1point

Lis Daglish 3 years ago

I find all of these really interesting. You can so clearly picture how a film would be dramatically changed, an entirely different mood, with alternate casting.

0points

Hilzillah 3 years ago

This! It's so true!

1point