15 stars who failed big movie auditions: Britney Spears tried out for The Notebook, Angelina Jolie flunked Clueless, and Jennifer Lawrence went for Kristen Stewart’s Twilight role
- Matthew McConaughey thought he aced his audition for Leonardo DiCaprio’s role in Titanic, and pre-Marvel Bradley Cooper went for DC Comics superhero Green Lantern
- A star-struck Jamie Foxx ‘blew’ his Jerry Maguire audition, Robert Pattinson lost out to Chris Evans in Scott Pilgrim, and a 12-year-old Scarlett Johansson nearly appeared in Jumanji
Having a famous, pretty face might get you past the strictest velvet rope, but it doesn’t always guarantee your next pay cheque. While many blockbuster roles are doled out without so much as an audition – or even outright written with a star in mind – most movie productions still demand that actors screen test in front of the cameras.
While it might have stung at the time, over the years plenty of actors have opened up about auditioning for roles they didn’t end up getting. Would you believe that Jennifer Lawrence auditioned for Bella Swan in Twilight, but Kristen Stewart was cast instead? Or that Matthew McConaughey thought he aced his Titanic audition, but he didn’t get cast as Jack?
Here are 15 iconic film roles that almost got played by someone else.
Robert Pattinson auditioned for Chris Evans’ role in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
In 2020, director Edgar Wright told Vanity Fair that he “vividly” remembers Robert Pattinson’s audition for the role of Lucas Lee in the cult-classic film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
“He did a much more intense read of it as well. Obviously, Robert is an incredible actor and someone who I’d love to work with now,” the director said.
Lucy Hale could have been cast as Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades of Grey
Lucy Hale is well known for her role on Pretty Little Liars, but she told the Associated Press in 2020 that she also auditioned for the lead in the steamy adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey.