13 Actors Who Lost Multi-Million Dollar Roles
Reese Witherspoon could've been the Gone Girl
Some actors don’t just “miss out” on a role, they get scooped by timing, studio politics, and one very specific casting domino effect. The kind that turns a multi-million dollar project into a different face, a different headline, and a different career chapter entirely.
In this lineup, you’ll see how deals unraveled before cameras ever rolled. Reese Witherspoon’s planned Gone Girl starring turn got redirected after David Fincher’s feedback, John Travolta aged out of Interview with the Vampire while Tom Cruise slid in, and Jessica Chastain walked away from Blonde after hearing her name was no longer the lead.
And once you see how the “almost” versions of these roles happened, it gets hard not to wonder what the movies would have looked like with the original choices.
1. Amy — “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon produced the movie and planned to star in it. However, her colleagues persuaded her against it. “David Fincher said I wasn’t right for the role, and I actually completely agreed with him,” Witherspoon explained in an interview. Eventually, Rosamund Pike took on the lead role.
East News2. Lestat — “Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles”
In the 1970s, John Travolta was set to portray the iconic vampire Lestat in the film adaptation of the novel, but the project was eventually put on hold due to the high number of vampire movies at the time.
By the time the movie was in preproduction, Travolta was no longer young enough for the role, and Tom Cruise was cast instead. Cruise went on to deliver an amazing performance.
East News3. Marilyn — “Blonde”
Speculation had been growing prior to the pre-production stage of “Blonde” that Jessica Chastain would take on the lead role as Marilyn Monroe. However, it was eventually announced that Ana de Armas would be playing the iconic part. When Chastain was asked about it in an interview, she revealed that she had declined the offer due to her lack of interest in creating another biopic about Marilyn Monroe.
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4. Jane — “The Legend of Tarzan”
The producers initially had Emma Stone in mind to play Jane in "The Legend of Tarzan," but she turned down the role. Thus, Jane became yet another noteworthy character in Margot Robbie's filmography.
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5. Kevin — “The Devil’s Advocate”
Joel Schumacher was initially slated to direct “The Devil’s Advocate” with Brad Pitt as the young attorney, but Pitt was eventually left out of the project, and Taylor Hackford stepped in to take Schumacher’s place. Keanu Reeves ultimately obtained the role of Kevin, choosing to star in “The Devil’s Advocate” instead of “Speed 2,” despite being offered a hefty sum of money for it.
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6. Mary — “The Other Boleyn Girl”
Despite Jessica Biel's audition, Scarlett Johansson was ultimately chosen to play Mary in "The Other Boleyn Girl." Biel was left disappointed as she had been eager to take on this role. In an interview, she lamented the fact that "movie directors want that top tier of girls."
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7. Rosalind — “The Gentlemen”
Two weeks into the filming process of the movie, Kate Beckinsale was originally cast as the main character's wife. Unfortunately, she had to withdraw from consideration due to personal reasons. Thankfully, Michelle Dockery of "Downton Abbey" fame stepped in as an excellent replacement.
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It’s a lot like asking your sister to repay a $5,000 loan after her business failed.
8. Napoleon — “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”
Henry Cavill has long been up against Robert Pattinson for various coveted roles. Both actors have competed for roles such as Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter series and Edward in The Twilight Saga, but Pattinson was ultimately cast in both.
However, Cavill was finally able to come out on top and land the role of Napoleon Solo in “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” making this role a personal triumph for him.
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9. Selina — “The Batman”
Several aspiring actresses auditioned to play Catwoman in the upcoming “Batman” movie. Among those being considered was “Game of Thrones” star Nathalie Emmanuel. Ultimately, it was Zoë Kravitz who got the role. It is noteworthy that the previous Catwoman performers, Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry, and Anne Hathaway, endorsed her casting.
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10. Megan — “The Girl on the Train”
The producers of the movie had initially wanted Margot Robbie to play the attractive woman that Emily Blunt's character observed from the train window. However, Robbie wasn't able to join the project for unspecified reasons, so Haley Bennett, who was relatively unknown at the time, was given the part instead.
The director of the movie acknowledges his colleagues' suggestions and states he has never regretted it.
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11. Jane — “Becoming Jane”
Keira Knightley was considered for the role of Jane Austen in a movie, likely due to her performance in "Pride & Prejudice," which was based on another one of Austen's works. In the end, Anne Hathaway was cast and received much appreciation for her portrayal.
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12. Rick — “The Mummy”
Sources report that Leonardo DiCaprio requested the production of "The Beach" to be postponed so he could star in "The Mummy," which he was very excited about. Unfortunately, the producers turned down his request, and Brendan Fraser was ultimately cast in the role, delivering an admirable performance.
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13. Adaline — “The Age of Adaline”
When the part of Adaline was offered to Natalie Portman, she turned it down without providing a reason. Fortunately, Blake Lively stepped in to take on the role, and it proved to be a great success. Her performance earned her many award nominations, although she didn't win any of them.
It is clear that Lively was the perfect choice for the part of Adaline, and it is hard to imagine anyone else playing the role as well as she did.
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That’s the thing with Gone Girl, one conversation with David Fincher was enough to steer Reese Witherspoon out of the lead and straight into Rosamund Pike’s version of the story.
Meanwhile, Interview with the Vampire went from John Travolta being set for Lestat to the project stalling, then suddenly Tom Cruise was the one who could still pull it off.
Blonde gets even messier, because Jessica Chastain didn’t just lose the role, she revealed she declined the offer once she realized she’d be making yet another Marilyn Monroe biopic.
It can be fun to imagine what movies would look like with different casts.
The funniest part is how often the “almost” casting choice still haunts the final movie anyway.
For more financial betrayal and trust issues, read about refusing to fund a friend’s failing business after she misused the money.
