11 Actors Who Auditioned For Famous Roles In TV And Film

The actor recently revealed that he’d originally pitched himself for the role of Roman Roy in Succession, and not Kendall.

According to Strong’s December 2021 New Yorker interview executive producer Adam McKay gave the actor the pilot script and said, ‘Tell me what role you connect with’. Strong immediately picked Roman. ‘I thought, "Oh, wow, Roman is such a cool part”,’ Strong said. ‘He’s, like, this bon-vivant pr*ck. I could do something that I hadn’t done before.’

The role ended up going to Kieran Culkin, and the show’s creator Jesse Armstrong agreed he could try out as Kendall. And the rest is history.

The red-haired actor is famous for playing Nicky Nichols in the hit series, but the star originally wanted to audition for the Lorna character, which went to Yael Stone.

In fact, Stone wanted to star as Nicky, but the casting directors wanted Lyonne to play Nicky so the actors ended up receiving the parts the other wanted.

We can’t quite comprehend Rachel McAdams not in the role of Regina George, and likewise Seyfried as Karen Smith.

However, Seyfried was so close to nabbing the role of George, but director Mark Waters thought her portrayal of the character not as 'intimidating' as McAdams’ version.

‘She played it in a much more ethereal, but still kind of scary way. She was more frightening, but oddly, less intimidating,’ he previously told Vulture.

Seyfried wasn’t the only one to audition for George. Lohan also went for the part. To make matters even more complicated, Rachel McAdams auditioned for the role of Cady Heron, but director Mark Waters thought her too old for the role.

Speaking of McAdams Waters told Vulture: 'I remember watching her do the scene and after it was over, I told her, "I think you’re a movie star, but you’re way too old for this character. You just aren’t going to be able to play the ingenue".' And she said, "No, I understand, I get it".'

It’s a well-known story that Cox auditioned to play Rachel Green – a part which ended up being given to her BFF Jennifer Aniston.

However, Cox was such a good actor the Friends that casting directors thought she’d fit perfectly in the role of Monic Geller.

In an interview on Off Camera With Sam Jones in 2017 Cox said: ‘For some reason, I thought I related more to Monica, which maybe it’s because I do.

'I’m very similar to her… I’m not as clean as Monica, but I am neat. And I’m not as competitive, even though some people, my partner (musician) Johnny McDaid, would say I am.'

The actor might be known for playing Alice Cullen in the Twilight series, but she originally auditioned for Bella (Kristen Stewart’s character).

In 2009 Greene told MTV: ‘I went in and auditioned and actually they called me back in and said, “No, you're not right for Bella”, so I was bummed, and then they brought me back for Alice.’

You know nothing… if you didn’t know that Rheon first auditioned for the role of Snow, but lost out on the part to Kit Harington. Instead, he was cast as the monstrous Ramsay Bolton in the series, and we couldn’t think of a better actor to play him.

'I think they made the right choice,' Rheon previously told Interview. 'It would’ve been a very different Jon Snow if I’d played him.'

Felton auditioned for the role of Ron Weasley and Harry Potter in the hit film franchise, but was ultimately given the role of Draco Malfoy, and boy are we thrilled about that. The actor himself has since said he is ‘grateful’ he didn’t get the titular role and Weasley’s, as his co-stars Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint were stupendous.

'There’s no question in my mind, there’s no one else in the world that A) could have played the character[s] better, but B) could have handled the behind-the-scenes pressure those guys have dealt with over the last decade,' he once told MTV News.