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Films that should have had someone else in the lead role

234 replies

SecondClassReturnToDottinghamPlease · 15/10/2023 23:32

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?

OP posts:
UglyModernWindows · 16/10/2023 07:42

Also Daniel Craig in Knives Out movies, his Southern US accent just feels pasted on throughout the films.

Whichwhatnow · 16/10/2023 07:45

Nicolas Cage as Captain Corelli in Captain Corelli's Mandolin. And for the matter Penelope Cruz as his love interest (Pelagia). I loved the book and was gutted by those two being cast - both wayyy too old for their characters who were meant to be in their teens and early 20s (Nicolas Cage in particular must have been over a decade too old!) and far too well known as actors to be convincing. Both roles should have gone to unknown young actors IMO.

Don't even get me started on how they rewrote the ending 😅

WestSouthWest · 16/10/2023 07:48

Benedict Cumberbatch is completely wrong as Doctor Strange. His American accent is terrible. I think he’s a terrific actor and is fab in Sherlock, but I can’t take him seriously when he’s trying to do an American accent.

nancy75 · 16/10/2023 07:49

The entire cast of the last little women film, hated all of it

christmassausages · 16/10/2023 07:50

Judi Dench and Ciaran Hinds in the Belfast film. I thought she was supposed to be HIS mother but she was his wife. Accents were all over the place as well.

Mrsjayy · 16/10/2023 07:52

WestSouthWest · 16/10/2023 07:48

Benedict Cumberbatch is completely wrong as Doctor Strange. His American accent is terrible. I think he’s a terrific actor and is fab in Sherlock, but I can’t take him seriously when he’s trying to do an American accent.

His American accent is awful I had to stop watching the stand alone film it was too much !

wiseoldtree · 16/10/2023 07:54

Tom Cruise in Interview with the vampire.

Ruined it for me as in the booked Lestat was so not Tom Cruise looking.

SpanielsMatter · 16/10/2023 07:57

‘A walk in the Woods’ was totally miscast, Nick Nolte especially.

napody · 16/10/2023 08:08

Astonishing · 16/10/2023 07:41

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.

Haha my kids made me watch this the other day and I thought the same!
At first I thought there'd be a big reveal when he switched to his normal accent (and potentially made a self deprecating joke about the quality of his American accent!).

napody · 16/10/2023 08:09

nancy75 · 16/10/2023 07:49

The entire cast of the last little women film, hated all of it

The Greta Gerwig one? No, surely not! I loved it. Although Dr Behr being young and hot wasn't right.

delilabell · 16/10/2023 08:19

I don't understand why they cast people for a role when they haven't got the natural accent. Surely there's enough people with English accents , Welsh accents, American accents?

Mrsjayy · 16/10/2023 08:22

I guess that's the point of being an actor you are supposed to be able to do accents but some people should just not bother.

dottiedodah · 16/10/2023 08:30

SecretVictoria I agree ,she was chosen as so many are as a "safe bet" I think .Mind you I am probably the only person who didnt get the film .Turned it off about 20 mins in .Really didnt enjoy it

MariaVT65 · 16/10/2023 08:31

shivermetimbers77 · 16/10/2023 00:24

I know I’m going old school here but it really really should have been Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady, not Audrey Hepburn..

I believe she was able to take Mary Poppins because she didn’t get MFL. I’d take Poppins any day, so I think it worked out 😁

MariaVT65 · 16/10/2023 08:32

Surprised no one has said yet…

Emma Watson is Beauty and the Beast.

willWillSmithsmith · 16/10/2023 08:36

Megifer · 16/10/2023 07:16

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.

Edited

I would say Tom Cruise in Interview with a Vampire. Even the author didn’t want him but she (and I) thought he was actually fantastic.

Owlish1003 · 16/10/2023 08:38

Whichwhatnow · 16/10/2023 07:45

Nicolas Cage as Captain Corelli in Captain Corelli's Mandolin. And for the matter Penelope Cruz as his love interest (Pelagia). I loved the book and was gutted by those two being cast - both wayyy too old for their characters who were meant to be in their teens and early 20s (Nicolas Cage in particular must have been over a decade too old!) and far too well known as actors to be convincing. Both roles should have gone to unknown young actors IMO.

Don't even get me started on how they rewrote the ending 😅

I couldn’t agree more!

Frankly, I am not convinced by Nicolas Cage in anything and wonder if he would have had an acting career if he hadn’t been the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola.

willWillSmithsmith · 16/10/2023 08:38

wiseoldtree · 16/10/2023 07:54

Tom Cruise in Interview with the vampire.

Ruined it for me as in the booked Lestat was so not Tom Cruise looking.

Totally different take on it😆 I loved him in it and I’m not really a fan of TC.

Pigsinspaaace · 16/10/2023 08:42

Not a film but Tom Burke is too young to be Strike.

In my head, Strike looks like Karl Urban from The Boys and sounds, obviously, like Robert Glenister.

martha4clark · 16/10/2023 08:43

Anne Hathaway as Emma in One Day. She was just not Emma.

k1233 · 16/10/2023 08:50

Anything Ben Affleck is in. He just cannot act. Fortunately his brother can and makes a watchable movie. I'm happy to settle for watchable!

napody · 16/10/2023 08:52

MariaVT65 · 16/10/2023 08:31

I believe she was able to take Mary Poppins because she didn’t get MFL. I’d take Poppins any day, so I think it worked out 😁

Show quote history

Oh, I didn't know this- the universe was smiling on us there! Poppins might be my favourite film ever.

FartNRoses · 16/10/2023 09:05

willWillSmithsmith · 16/10/2023 08:36

I would say Tom Cruise in Interview with a Vampire. Even the author didn’t want him but she (and I) thought he was actually fantastic.

Show quote history

Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada! I love the film because of her! Totally nailed it.
Also Stanley Tucci was fab in it too.

HobnobsChoice · 16/10/2023 09:06

Tom Burke is 41 so the right age to have served in Afghanistan. He's 36 in the first book/series so I think he's pretty much bang on agewise. Robin is 26 in the first book I think.

Clawdy · 16/10/2023 09:06

Keira Knightley in Pride and Prejudice - didn't work for me.