Some movies and TV shows have shaped pop culture as we know it today, and though the plot is obviously important, no matter how compelling the storyline is, the casting is everything. It doesn't happen with every project, but certain actors have truly been able to come into a role and and not only make it their own, but also make it so iconic that we couldn't possibly imagine anyone else playing that part.
But even though some of our favorite characters in Hollywood history basically seem synonymous with the actors who played them, there have been more casting near-misses than you might think. And that doesn't just lead us to wonder if that role would have worked as well as it did, but it also makes us wonder where those stars' careers would be today if things had worked out differently at the time.
What if Tom Cruise didn't play Jerry Maguire? What would have happened if Blake Lively didn't get her breakout role in Gossip Girl?
Those are just two of the situations that almost played out in Hollywood — and they're hardly the only casting changes that shaped pop culture.
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Jennifer Lawrence Was Almost in 'Gossip Girl'
Without playing Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl, Blake Lively may not be the megastar she is today — and it's hard to believe that the role almost ended up going to Jennifer Lawrence instead.
"We did not realize this at the time, but Jennifer really wanted to play Serena and auditioned," Gossip Girl creator Josh Schwartz told Vulture, adding that she was "bummed" when she found out they'd decided to go with Blake.
Blake Lively Almost Played Karen in 'Mean Girls'
On the subject of Blake Lively, there's a legendary role that she missed out on herself. She almost played Karen in Mean Girls, though Amanda Seyfried ultimately ended up getting the gig. Originally, Amanda was set to play Regina, but she also read for Karen.
"It was very exciting. I met Lacey Chabert for the first time, and Lindsay Lohan was in the room, and Blake Lively was playing Karen. And then I was Regina," she told Vanity Fair, later adding that after the audition, casting directors decided she'd make a better Karen.
'Jerry Maguire' Could Have Been Another Tom
The lead in Jerry Maguire was always going to be played by a man named Tom, but it was nearly Hanks instead of Cruise. Director Cameron Crowe said that he originally wrote the role with the Sleepless in Seattle star in mind, but after auditioning, he decided it wasn't for him.
"Tom Hanks was so complimentary and so great and said, 'You know I'd love to do this but I'm doing That Thing You Do. I should be doing that instead of this movie, but good luck,'" he said.
Olivia Pope in 'Scandal' Was Almost Connie Britton
Until showrunner Shonda Rhimes stepped in, Connie Britton was a lock to play Olivia Pope in Scandal, but it was important to Shonda that a Black woman play the part.
"When the show got picked up [to pilot], I got a phone call from somebody who said, 'This would be the perfect show for Connie Britton.' I said, 'It would be, except Olivia Pope is Black,'" Shonda told The Hollywood Reporter.
Annette Benning Was Originally Cast in 'Batman Returns'
A few different actresses have stepped into Catwoman's sleek suit over the years, and Annette Bening was almost one of them before the filming of Batman Returns. But according to what producer Denise Di Novi said in the book Batman: The Definitive History of the Dark Knight in Comics, Film, and Beyond, Annette dropped out of the movie when she found out she was pregnant, leaving Michelle Pfeiffer to fill the role — even though all the costumes had already been fitted to Annette's measurements.
Leonardo DiCaprio Almost Went From 'Titanic' to 'American Psycho'
A young Leonardo DiCaprio was on a career high after 1997's Titanic and wanted to go straight into American Psycho, but a conversation with Gloria Steinem while they took in a Yankees game is how Christian Bale ultimately ended up playing Patrick Bateman.
"I believe she said, 'Please don't do this movie. Coming off of Titanic, there is an entire planet full of 13-year-old girls waiting to see what you do next, and this is going to be a movie that has horrible violence toward women.' Soon after that, Leo dropped out, so who knows what really happened," one of the movie's writers, Guinevere Turner, told Vice.
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Rob Lowe Could've Been McDreamy
It's hard to imagine any one other than Patrick Dempsey as McDreamy in Grey's Anatomy, but the role almost went to Rob Lowe — until he passed on the part, that is.
"Me in that part isn't as interesting as Patrick in that part," he told Variety. "If it'd been me, [the fans] wouldn't have called me McDreamy, they would have called me Rob Lowe."
It all worked out, though, because Rob noted that he wouldn't have been free to star in Parks and Recreation if he had ended up taking that job.
Tamzin Merchant Nearly Had Emilia Clarke's Job
We know and love Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, but she wasn't the original Mother of Dragons. That was actually Tamzin Merchant, who played the role in the pilot that never ended up seeing the light of day. As she told Entertainment Weekly, shooting the first episode didn't feel right to her, so she ended up walking away.
"I didn't have any training as an actor, I only have my instincts. And what excites me and what drives me is a compelling story and a compelling character. So for me, Game of Thrones was never that," she said. "I think it's a testament to Emilia Clarke for making that role iconic. She was obviously excited to tell that story, and she was epic and excellent. But for me, it wasn't in my heart to tell it."
Natalie Portman Almost Starred in 'Romeo + Juliet'
One of Claire Danes' most unforgettable roles will always be Juliet in 1996's Romeo + Juliet, but it almost never happened because Natalie Portman was up for the role, too. She was cast first, but after Leonardo DiCaprio nabbed the role of Romeo, director Baz Luhrmann decided that Natalie was too young and Juliet needed to be recast.
"At the time, I was 13 and Leonardo was 21, and it wasn't appropriate in the eyes of the film company or the director, Baz," Natalie once said in an interview. "It was kind of a mutual decision, too, that it just wasn't going to be right at the time."
Rachel McAdams Could've Been in 'The Devil Wears Prada'
Anne Hathaway made the role of Andy Sachs iconic in The Devil Wears Prada, but it could have been Rachel McAdams instead.
"We offered it to Rachel McAdams three times. The studio was determined to have her, and she was determined not to do it," director David Frankel told Entertainment Weekly.
For her part, Rachel said she passed on the role (and others) at the time because she was in Canada, taking a break from acting and enjoying time with her family.
Eric Stoltz Was Almost Marty McFly
Eric Stoltz was originally cast in the role of Marty McFly, and according to Vulture, the story goes that his method acting approach to the job ended up causing so much hostility on the set that he got fired after filming was already underway, paving the way for Michael J. Fox to take his place.
Matt LeBlanc Almost Starred in 'Modern Family'
After Friends (and Joey) came to an end, Matt LeBlanc was planning to move on to another sitcom. He was offered the role of Phil Dunphy in Modern Family (which ultimately ended up going to Ty Burrell) but turned it down.
"I remember reading it thinking, 'This is a really good script, but I'm not the guy for this,'" he told USA Today. "I'd be doing the project an injustice to take this. I know what I can do, I know what I can't do. Plus, I'm having too much fun lying on the couch."
Bob Odenkirk Was Almost Michael Scott
There's simply no way that anyone but Steve Carell could play Michael Scott in The Office, but it was almost Bob Odenkirk first. Ultimately, casting decided to go with Steve, and Bob would eventually make a cameo in the show as a nod to that choice. And of course, Bob went on to brilliantly bring to life the colorful character of Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
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Charlize Theron Could've Been in 'Chicago'
Charlize Theron was originally cast as Roxie Hart in Chicago, but when Rob Marshall took over directing, he kicked her out and cast Renée Zellweger instead.
"Well, there was another director attached and he brought me on," Charlize said while talking to Howard Stern. "And then that director got fired and this new director got brought on and he didn't want to make the movie with me."
George Clooney Was Almost the Hero of 'The Notebook'
One of Ryan Gosling's most memorable roles is Noah in The Notebook, but George Clooney was originally attached to play the character, with Paul Newman as the older version of him.
"Paul and I talked about doing it, and we were sitting there one day and I was looking at him and I go, 'I can't do this movie, Paul,'" George told Entertainment Weekly. "He was like, 'Why?' I was like, 'Because everybody knows what you look like at 30 years old. You got blue eyes, I got brown eyes. You're too famous at 30 for me to be playing you at 30 — it's never gonna work.' And he's like, 'I guess you're right.'"
