The Audition Files. Famous Actors Up For Famous Roles They Didn’t Get Volume 2
Actors don’t always get the roles they try out for. Even the ones that go on to become stars. Here are some auditions that actors must have thought that they nailed only to find out later that the producers, studios or director wanted someone else for the part. Read Volume 1: They Didn’t Get the Part here.
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Ben-Hur – Leslie Nielsen as Messala
The future Lt. Frank Drebin screen tested for the role of Messalah in “Ben-Hur”. The part went to Stephen Boyd. Nielsen gives the look, voice and hair of a classic movie star in this audition. This clip also includes Cesare Danova testing for Charlton Heston’s role of Judah Ben-Hur.
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Get Smart – Jessica Alba as Agent 99.
Jessica Alba tries out for the part of Agent 99 in the Steve Carell film version of “Get Smart”. She loses the role to Anne Hathaway. Don’t feel bad for Jessica though. At this point, she was still riding the wave of the Fantastic Four sequel.
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Raiders of the Lost Ark – Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones
Tom Selleck talks about how he lost out on the role of Indiana Jones because of his commitment to his TV series “Magnum PI”. Here’s a look of what Selleck would have looked like as Indy. It’s still very Magnum-y. And as a bonus, he’s screen testing with Sean Young. Go to the :22 mark to see the audition piece.
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Rebel Without a Cause – Marlon Brando as the Lead
Warner Bros was preparing to make “Rebel Without a Cause” in 1947. That’s when the studio brought in 23 year old Marlon Brando to audition for the lead – which in this early treatment was named Harold, not Jim Stark. Warners shelved the project till almost 10 years later, when the role went to James Dean with a new script. Here’s an iconic actor who could have gone on to portray another iconic role.
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The Office
Seth Rogen as Dwight, Bob Odenkirk as Michael Scott, Eric Stonestreet as Kevin, Kathryn Hahn as Pam, John Cho as Jim and Adam Scott as Jim.
These auditions show that The Office could have looked completely different. Seth Rogen didn’t get to be Dwight, but it wasn’t all lost. He still got to work with Steve Carell on “The 40 Year Old Virgin”.
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