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?

Interesting, I feel the opposite on this!

I felt Harris's Dumbledore was too frail, Gambon brought more power to the role, and he is the most powerful wizard in the world, after all.

Re Ian McKellen, I also read that Richard Harris was not a fan of his and this was another reason he turned down the role after Harris died.

Yes, I read that too. Crying shame - I didn't mind Gambon, thought Harris sleepwalked through the part (yes, I know he was ill, but how could you make "Alas! Earwax!" not funny?) but McKellen's a better actor than either.

Actually I thought Harris was a hit-and-miss actor. He was rubbish as Cromwell and apparently spent his time frothing because Alec Guinness made Charles I so sympathetic and thought it took the spotlight off him (ETA which fits with his attitude toward McKellen so much later, too ...)

I think the problem there was more Robert Redford as Bill Bryson! I enjoyed the film but it wasn't 'real people'.

Fully expect to be shot down for this, but Harry Potter 🙈. I absolutely love the books and the films as well. Daniel was great as a kid, but as the films progressed I just think he was wooden and lacking character. Hermione and Ron on the other hand were spot on.

I do actually smile mildly at the 'alas earwax' comment. Harris has a faintly comic way of saying it. But I agree he played the character too frail. Gambon though charges through like a herd of stampeding elephants and bludgeons all the compassion and twinkly eyed humour out of the role. 'Did you put your name in the cup Harry?' Awful. It was like he was interrogating a Nazi war criminal, not concerned for Harry at all. McKellan has the right look and could have played him as powerful and whimsical at the same time.

Another miscast I have just thought of: Olivia Colman as the Queen in The Crown. She's a great actress but she was miscast there.

I'm sure this has been mentioned but Emma Watson as Belle. She was just too...bland.

Always thought Clive Owen would have made a good Bond.

Loved Michael Gambon as Dumbledore, much preferred him to Harris who I agree was too frail.

Jenifer Lawrence would have made a much better Belle.

Yes Anne Hathaway ruined "One Day" for me!

Also Emily Blunt in Girl on the train and everything else she's been in

Definitely agree with Russell Crowe. Brilliant actor but singing, no, especially not for such a major role.

I remember going to see the first Harry Potter at the cinema and really enjoying it but saying aftewards I was disappointed the Harry character seemed so bland. In the books he has a wry sense of humour but that seemed completely lost. My husband thought "Harry" had been deliberately dumbed down for US audiences (they don't like sarcastic kids) but even so I still dont think Daniel Radcliffe had quite enough "edge". I'm mean, Ron is the funny one and Hermione is the clever one, so Harry has to have something extra but DR just seemed so painfully ordinary.

On Dumbledore - apparently John Hurt had really wanted the role but when it went to Richard Harris he accepted Ollivander instead. He must have been kicking himself when the role came up again and it was too late!

I also agree that Kate Winslet as Bridget Jones would have been fab. Renee did a decent job to be fair but I still find it surprising they cast a US actress.

I also thought Kristin Scott Thomas was too old and "wordly" a choice for Katherine in the English Patient. The character is supposed to be young bride. She is good in it though and I love the film.

Also Nicole Kidman in Before I go to Sleep. One of the things I really liked about the book was that it the main character is an older woman (I think she's 47) but they recast the character as she 40 and Nicole looked not a day over 35 and super glamorous (though ironically she was around 47 😂). Didn't enjoy the film though I think it was a really hard one to adapt as there is so much repetition in the book as she gathers her memory gradually - that just wouldn't maintain interest in a film.

Agreed that scene where Gambon’s Dumbledore goes mad after Harry’s name comes out of the goblet of fire is deeply odd, not least because he seems to be repeatedly saying ‘Potter’ with some kind of attempt at what he clearly believes to be an Irish accent? (It’s not.)

Shot down for what? You may get some dissent on the idea that Radcliffe was spot on to start with..

As for the other two, it was probably fortunate that 'swotty somewhat officious teen' and 'emotional range of a teaspoon' didn't require much acting.

I know they would have been aged up a bit but I don't know they just don't quite fit for me- lupin more so than sirius. I can't see any one else as Snape other than Alan Rickman though so I suppose they did have to age them all up a bit.

he is handsome haha just not quite what I pictured- I think when you have read the books so many times it's hard to live up to it.

She would have been great but a few years too young I think. Bridget needed to be in her 30s.

Yeah, KW was too young to play Bridget. I think Renee did a good job but these casting choices do seem odd for a civilian like me.

The book does not mention curvy:
She was still on the stairs, now she reached the landing, and the ragbag colors of her boy's hair,
tawny streaks, strands of albino-blond and yellow, caught the hall light. It was a warm evening,
nearly summer, and she wore a slim cool black dress, black sandals, a pearl choker. For all her chic
thinness, she had an almost breakfast-cereal air of health

Emily Blunt in the Girl on the Train. Disliked the whole film adaptation in general.

I would have put John Cleese as Dumbledore mark 2, but he’d already been cast as Nearly Headless Nick, and from the lack of development I gather he wasn’t a success with the producers.
And Dawn French as the Fat Lady? They could have done great things with her!

My “but whyyyy?” moment was when William Hurt turned up as as Mr Rochester in Zeffirelli’s Jane Eyre.

Another one for Emily Blunt: think she absolutely wrecked the Mary Poppins remake. Zero charm and I can't bear her knowing manner. Completely wrong for Mary Poppins. And how did she manage to do such a terrible accent when she's English. Lin Manuel Miranda also hopelessly miscast as a cheeky chappy.

Interview with the Vampire lead male castings made no sense to me. Brad Pitt as Lestat and Tom Cruise as Louis however, could have been stunning.

James Corden in literally anything. These days, if I see he's in the cast I expect the film to be shit.

So much this! Quite possibly Dame Judi’s worst ever role.

A good year.

Absolutely love that film but what a disaster with gladiator man in it

Hilary Swank in P.S. I Love You.