Did you know some of the most iconic TV and movie roles almost went to other actors? It’s hard to imagine some of these roles going to different people!

Hollywood is fascinating. So much work and time goes into creating the movies and shows we love so dearly. Sometimes, the original vision looks vastly different than the product we end up seeing on the screen. Sometimes it’s for the best, other times it’s a headscratcher. Here are five popular movie and TV roles that almost went to other actors.

What Popular Roles Almost Went To Other Actors?

Can you imagine someone other than Steve Carell playing Michael Scott on The Office? It almost happened! What about Harrison Ford’s iconic role as Han Solo in Star Wars? That role was also offered to someone else, who turned it down. Who was originally supposed to play Shrek? Had these actors not turned down these roles, we could have watched shows and movies that were totally different!

We often forget that for these Hollywood actors, the roles they accept in movies and shows are jobs. They can impact their career and future earnings. So, they have to be selective with what roles they take. Choosing the wrong role could ruin your career. Picking movie A over movie B could also end your career. There are a lot of choices to make and sometimes they make the right choice, and other times they end up regretting turning down a role that would go on to be an audience favorite for years to come.

Recently, this type of thing happened with the Barbie movie. At first, the role was going to go to comedian Amy Schumer instead of Margot Robbie. That would have been an incredibly different movie. Would it have been as huge as it was if it starred Schumer instead of Robbie? We will never know! These kind of things happen all the time and there are so many examples I couldn’t get to. Some of them are nothing short of shocking. Can you imagine George Clooney or Tom Cruise starring in The Notebook? It was discussed! How about Vince Vaughn playing Joey in Friends? That almost happened, too, according to Buzzfeed!

Check out the list of 5 popular movie and TV roles that almost went to different actors! We were very close to having a different reality and some of our favorite characters were almost played by someone else!

5 Popular Movie And TV Roles That Almost Went To Other Actors

• Michael Scott - The Office

  https://youtu.be/IBJJrZ5LAVQ?si=eN76d6y34J0cjACV Steve Carell’s performance as Michael Scott on The Office is one of the most iconic roles of all-time. However, he almost didn’t take the role! In fact, according to Just Jared, at least 35 actors were considered for the role and two actors even declined the role! Producer Ben Silverman and Casting Director Allison Jones say the two frontrunners for the role were Paul Giamatti and Phillip Seymour Hoffman! Can you imagine them as Michael Scott? I can’t! That would have been so different. Thankfully, they got it right with Steve Carell. Actually, several big names auditioned for the show. Some auditioned for the role of Michael and other notable actors auditioned for the roles of Dwight, Pam, and more. https://youtu.be/sItKwZdGkTM?si=unggeLnZm_y8P3qw

• Phil Dunphy - Modern Family

  https://youtu.be/SAkAf-Xloho?si=2-4lYi1FHqfdxEog Ty Burrell captured America’s hearts as Phil Dunphy on ABC’s Modern Family. He was hilarious, relatable, and such a goofball. However, he almost didn’t get the role. It was actually originally offered to Matt LeBlanc, who famously played Joey on Friends. Can you imagine him as Phil? There are bits where I can see it, but he would have ended up being a totally different character. Matt rejected the role because he felt like he wasn’t the “right guy” for it, per Huffington Post. You can’t say he was wrong because Burrell was definitely that right guy. Still love Matt, though!

• Shrek - Shrek

  Mike Myers did such a great job voicing Shrek. It’s one of the best movies of all-time and there were so many quotes and Myers really made it his own. The voice was unique and you can recognize it anywhere. However, the role originally went to a different Saturday Night Live alum–Chris Farley.

  Farley even did some recordings for the movie before he tragically passed away. It sounds like it would have been a different character with a different tone. Where Mike’s Shrek comes off tough this Shrek sounds a little less confident. It would have been very interesting to see the movie with Farley voicing the character.

• Forrest Gump - Forrest Gump

  Forrest Gump won 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor in a Leading Role. Would it still have been as successful if it was someone other than Tom Hanks leading the way? It’s hard to imagine anyone else in that iconic role. However, the role was offered to John Travolta! Can you imagine!? That would have been a totally different movie. I can’t picture it for the life of me. The other examples I could see working in some way, but this makes no sense to me. Instead, he chose to do Pulp Fiction allowing Hanks to be Forrest Gump. I think that worked well for everyone Tom, John, and we the audience.

• Han Solo - Star Wars

  https://youtu.be/K1fSMm2v2ik?si=90BdliTKdJ81MF4V Star Wars launched Harrison Ford to superstardom and Han Solo would become one of the most iconic movie characters of all-time. Harrison Ford is still a household name and went on to star in many more blockbusters, becoming an A-Lister on his own. However, it all almost never happened. According to Business Insider, Al Pacino turned down a lot of money to appear as Han Solo in “A New Hope.” Instead, he passed which allowed Ford to step in and essentially gave him a career. It sounds like Pacino just didn’t get it and passed on it, a mistake he certainly should regret.

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