A movie is only as good as its characters. And for some lucky actors, their performances were so brilliant, that they've become synonymous with their iconic characters. That's the beauty of great casting. No one can play Indiana Jones like Harrison Ford, nor can anyone other than Robert Downey Jr. play Iron Man.
And yet, who would've thought that there were several iconic pop culture portrayals that could've gone another way. In fact, for some legendary roles, other actors were initially offered to play the part; but by some twist of fate, they were either replaced, or simply decided to turn down the opportunity.
1 Charlize Theron as Roxie Hart - Chicago (2001)
Where Renée Zellweger received high praise and several accolades for her portrayal of the aspiring vaudevillian, Charlize Theron was actually the actor attached to play Roxie Hart for a long time.
Speaking to Howard Stern, Theron revealed that the original director of Chicago had initially cast her; but sadly, when he got fired, the new director - Rob Marshall - "didn't want to make the movie with [her]" so she got "kicked off". Theron explained that she understood the choice that was made, but can't help "fantasize" what could've been had she starred in the beloved movie musical.
2 Sir Ian McKellen as Dumbledore - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
With the unfortunate passing of Richard Harris, the Harry Potter franchise had lost its Professor Dumbledore a lot earlier than they expected. Needing to find someone to take over the role, producers offered the part to Sir Ian McKellen, an actor who's no stranger to playing powerful wizards in movies.
But for McKellen, this was tricky since Harris was a vocal critic of his acting skills - even going so far as to calling McKellen "passionless". In a HARDtalk interview, McKellen explained that he "couldn't take over the part from an actor who [he'd] known didn't approve of [him]" - it just didn't seem right. In the end, Michael Gambon gloriously went on to play Dumbledore for five more films.
3 Michelle Pfeiffer as Clarice Starling - The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Nowadays, no one can imagine anyone else - other than Jodie Foster - to stare into the eyes of a vicious cannibal. But for Jonathan Demme, the film's director, he wasn't initially convinced of Foster's suitability given that he was unimpressed with her Oscar-winning performance in The Accused.
Demme's first choice for Clarice Starling was actually Michelle Pfeiffer, who he'd worked with in Married to the Mob. Unfortunately for Demme, Pfeiffer turned the role down rather quickly. In an interview, Pfeiffer explained that she was "uncomfortable" since "it was evil that won in the end", and ultimately "didn't want to put that out into the world". Eventually, Demme went with the producers' wishes and offered the part to Foster. He's obviously since admitted how wrong his initial trepidations were.
4 Matt LeBlanc as Phil Dunphy - Modern Family (2009 - 2020)
For many fans, Ty Burrell was the perfect choice to portray everyone's favorite sitcom Dad. Yet oddly enough, Matt LeBlanc was first person that was offered to play Phil Dunphy.
With Joey - the often forgotten spin-off of Friends - being canceled after a few seasons, LeBlanc was given Modern Family's pilot script, as well as a legitimate casting offer. However, speaking USA TODAY, he revealed that despite finding it to be "a really good script", he felt that he was "not the guy" for it and that "he'd be doing the project an injustice". Luckily he didn't, otherwise fans wouldn't have been introduced to Burrell's iconic performance.
5 Rachel McAdams as Andy Sachs - The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
While appearing on RuPaul's Drag Race, Anne Hathaway admitted how earning her famed role in The Devil Wears Prada was no easy feat, and that she was the "ninth choice" for the role of Andy.
Director, David Frankel confirmed this in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, where he even revealed that they had actually "offered [the role] to Rachel McAdams three times". Given how McAdams was already an established dramatic actor, "the studio was determined" to cast her, whereas "she was determined not to do it". Thankfully, things fell into place and fans were left amazed at Hathaway's performance, along with her fabulous outfits.
6 Nicolas Cage as Aragorn - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Casting the heir to the throne of Gondor was a very arduous task for Peter Jackson. Before Viggo Mortensen famously starred in the highly beloved movie trilogy, there were a litter of actors that were offered the part of Aragorn. Where there was Russel Crowe, Daniel Day Lewis and Stuart Towsend - who actually got the role until he was quickly recast as shooting began - fans might be perplexed at the fact that Nicolas Cage was also offered to play Aragorn.
In an interview with Newsweek, Cage explained that "there were different things going on in [his] life at the time", so "be[ing] away from home for three years" didn't seem like the right thing to do. But despite losing out on this opportunity, Cage "[doesn't] really have any regrets" as he now "gets to enjoy the movies as an audience member".
7 Tamzin Merchant as Daenerys Targaryen - Game of Thrones (2011 - 2019)
Despite her unfortunate ending on the show, Daenerys Targaryen has become one of the most famous fantasy characters of all time. Where she was brilliantly brought to life by Emilia Clarke, there was actually a version of Game of Thrones that had someone else playing the Mother of Dragons.
Tamzin Merchant actually got the gig in the original pilot that was filmed in 2009. Sadly, it was ultimately scrapped and met with many changes - one of which included the re-casting of Daenerys. Finally addressing this debacle to Entertainment Weekly, Merchant expressed her gratitude for the experience as it taught her the importance of trusting her own instincts. She revealed that even before the episode got axed she "tried to back out" from the show but was "talked back into it", leaving her to feel "naked and afraid" during filming.
8 Liam Hemsworth as Thor - Thor (2011)
Chris Hemsworth has played the God of Thunder in all four Phases of the MCU. And yet, what makes this funny, is the fact that his younger brother was actually closer to getting the job before he ever did.
In his WIRED Autocomplete Interview, Hemsworth revealed that he never received a callback in his first audition for Thor; however, his brother - Liam Hemsworth - did, and actually got "down to the last five people". Sadly for the younger Hemsworth, the studio deemed him "a bit young" for the role, paving the way for the older Hemsworth to re-audition with "a different attitude" and bag the part for himself. A true depiction of sibling competitiveness.
9 Sandra Bullock as Neo - The Matrix (1999)
Before Keanu Reeves changed the game of the sci-fi genre with his brilliant portrayal of Neo in The Matrix, some may be shocked to know that he wasn't the first choice. In fact, several other A-Listers were approached, but ultimately rejected the part. The most polarizing offer - Reeves' Speed co-star, Sandra Bullock.
According to an interview with the film's producer, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, the creatives were so desperate to get the movie made that they went to Bullock and proclaimed how "they'll change Neo to a girl" if there was even a chance that she was interested. Sadly, it "just wasn't something for her at the time". Since then, Bullock has gone on record saying that The Matrix was "a movie [she] wish [she] had done".
10 Christopher Plummer as Gandalf - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Similar to Aragorn, the role of Gandalf was offered to several prolific actors until it found the perfect fit. One legendary actor who rejected the part was actually the late and great Christopher Plummer.
Speaking to Conan O'Brian, he admitted how much he "loved The Lord of the Rings growing up" and that "[Gandalf] was a marvelous part"; however, he struggled with its three-year filming commitment in New Zealand, and even joked that "there were other countries [he'd] like to visit before [he] croaked". Luckily, Plummer sung praises for McKellen's performance and the overall warmth he brought to the character.