Brad Pitt and Kate Hudson are notable examples of stars who turned down iconic movie and TV roles (in Almost Famous and The Devil Wears Prada, respectively), yet there are just as many famous faces who were rejected by producers and directors when their casting didn’t feel quite right.
Millie Bobby Brown and Dwayne Johnson are unquestionably two of the biggest stars in Hollywood today, but even they were turned down for movies that became hugely successful without them. In fact, some of the most iconic movies and TV shows of all time were one casting decision away from being totally different from what we love and celebrate about them.
Imagine a world where Thiessen went from playing Bayside High’s head cheerleader Kelly Kapowski to working at the Central Perk in Friends?!
In 2018, Thiessen revealed on SiriusXM’s You Up With Nikki Glaser that she auditioned to play Rachel Green, the Friends character who eventually made Jennifer Aniston a TV icon.
“Did you know I tested for Friends, for Jennifer Aniston?” the actress confirmed. “I was just a little too young. I was a little too young to the pairing of the rest of them.”
Thiessen was only 20 years old during Friends’ casting search, so it’s perhaps no surprise she landed her breakout post–Saved by the Bell role as Valerie Malone in Beverly Hills, 90210 instead.
The Golden Globe winner told People in 2018 that his love of musicals inspired him to pursue playing the boastful hunter Gaston in Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast.
“I auditioned for Beauty and the Beast,” Elba confirmed. “For the movie, yeah! I called, I said, ‘I want in!’ They said, ‘Uh, you know, uh, well, OK.’ So, somewhere they have a tape of me singing.”
Luke Evans ultimately was cast as Gaston, perhaps because he had more musical experience from his starring roles in Rent and Miss Saigon in London’s West End.
