Films that should have had someone else in the lead role

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I've got The Beach on in the background, and having read the book before it came out I was never convinced by Leonardo Di Caprio as Richard. I seem to remember Danny Boyle wanted the part to go to Ewan McGregor, who I think would have been much better. But it was felt LDC was a bigger actor who would have made the film more successful. It made me wonder about other films which would have been different if another actor was the lead role. Anyone got any examples?

Gruffudd !

I bloody love the film (thank you, Alan Rickman) but Kevin Costner in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves…

Should also have been someone other than Rex Harrison playing Higgins. He was far too old.

FWIW, I think the Harry Potter casting team had a very difficult job, casting 11 year old who would have to grow up in the roles and devote the next 8 years of their lives to them.

But whilst we are on Harry Potter, as has been said a lot, snape is cast far too old, he should be 32 or so when the films start.

Yes I agree they were just children because well it was a kids film I don't know what people expected!

I came in to say the same! She would have made a much better Bridget.

Just going to say this! I love TC but he's NOT Jack Reacher 😔

So were Harry's parents. They were, what, early twenties when they died.

Can I throw out a bit of a twist on this question - how about actors who were cast that you thought "just no" and it was actually brilliant? Matt Damon as Jason Bourne is mine. He turned out to be absolutely spot on.

True, but they weren’t in it as much so it bothered me less!

Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia! The character of Donna is supposed to be 40/41, while MS is a wonderful actor I think she was 60 when the film was made. In fact, the only one who looked (just about) the age they were meant to be was Colin Firth (at a push).

@Catsmere plus the actress playing Lilly was 34 or so at the time of the first film so 13ish years too old - Rickman was 55 so 23ish years too old!

l came on to say the Beach too. Awful casting of what was a brilliant book.

I also struggle with Kevin Costner as Robin Hood.

Ben Affleck in Gone Girl. Nick is meant to be a clean cut handsome All American boy, there are so many actors who could have played him better. Also didn’t like Rosamund Pike as Amy - all wrong.

Emma Thompson was IMO too old to play Eleanor (Elinor?) in Sense and Sensibility.

And I’m still annoyed that Emma Thomson was cast as bill Bryson’s wife when she is 23 years younger than Robert Redford. I just about get it when the male role is being a stud (see Jack
nicholson) but this is a gentle comedy about real people.

harry potter and hermione - but ron weasley was just as i imagined him

Tom Cruise should never have been cast as Jack Reacher. Anyone whose ever read one of the books knows Reacher was absolutely nothing like Cruise, neither physically nor personality. They couldn't have done a worse job with the casting.

Teenage Kiera Knightly in love actually could/should have been played by any actress over 21 !

Oh god, yes, this. She was just way too young for that, it came off creepy.

@SecretVictoria You beat me to it!! I love MS and she looked grear but she was 20 years too old to play Donna. Same goes to her two sidekicks.

Another one is Tom Hanks as Robert Langford in Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons. Another great actor but too old and just not right for the role.

George Clooney in everything. Awful actor.

Only watching so my toddler can constantly yell 'DOG!' at the screen but Jack Whitehall in Clifford the big red dog. You've got Jack doing this awful American accent with some convoluted story about why the rest of his family is English. Why didn't they a) make them all English and or set it in England or b) cast an American actor?? It's really bizarre.

Rami Malek in the Queen movie