10 Times Actors Were Once Told To Be Not Famous Enough For A Role
Honestly, many actors are famous due to their celebrity parents. However, it doesn’t mean they have no acting skills but they were just born in the right place at the right time.
We also need to be aware that fame doesn’t easily happen overnight. Hollywood is competitive and it can take years and years to receive worldwide acclaim. Before becoming famous, many actors got negative feedback about their talent but they made consistent efforts. And see, many of them become movie stars now.
#1. Nicole Kidman
Source: Universal Pictures
Nicole Kidman desired to star in the 1999 movie Notting Hill. But she was refused to be cast opposite Huge Grant because she was supposed to be not famous and talented enough to get the role.
#2. Jim Carrey
Source: Buena Vista Pictures
Jim Carrey was supposed to voice for Buzz Lightyear in 1995’s Toy Story> However, Disney wanted to hire someone well-known and they couldn’t use Jim Carrey. Carrey's fame skyrocketed in 1994 thanks to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dumb and Dumber, and The Mask, but these had not yet been released at the time of casting.
#3. Charlize Theron
Source: Mitchell Gerber / Getty Images
At the time she was cast as the lead in Showgirl, Charlize Theron was well-known. That was why she missed out on the role. Eventually, Elizabeth Berkley, who was famous for Saved by the Bell, took on the part. The movie bombed and Elizabeth Berkley’s career was ruined while Theron went on to win an Oscar and become a major star.
#4. Christian Bale
Lionsgate Films acquired the American Psycho distribution rights in 1998 and they had the rights to choose who would play the lead role. Christian Bale was replaced by Leonardo DiCaprio.
#5. Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer was considered for a role in All the Money in the World but the studio wanted to hire someone more famous. So, they gave the role to Kevin Spacey. In the wake of the sexual assault allegations against Spacey, Plummer stepped back in and shot his scenes in nine days. He received an Oscar nomination for his work.
#6. Mark Ruffalo
Mark Ruffalo was considered for the role of Hulk in The Incredible Hulk but Marvel decided to cast Edward Norton because of his reputation. Ruffalo would go on to replace Norton in the role in The Avengers and all other Marvel films.
#7. Gal Gadot
Before starring in Wonder Woman, she was never seen as a big name for different high-profile projects. She said, “They always need someone...It was always me and ‘the big name,’” One rejection was for the role of Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road. The role instead went to Charlize Theron.
#8. Carey Mulligan
Source: Adam Rose / Fox Television
Carey Mulligan was told that she wasn’t famous enough to cameo in Glee. She'd starred in films like Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and The Greatest. This was during Season 2 of Glee, which saw celebs like Britney Spears, Katie Couric, and Gwyneth Paltrow guest star.
#9. Marion Cotillard
La Vie en Rose director Olivier Dahan really wanted Marion Cotillard to play the singer Édith Piaf. Some of the film’s financiers protested against his decision because they thought she wasn’t physically similar to Piaf and famous enough. As a result, financiers cut down their spending. Despite that, Dahan kept making the film and hired Cotillard. She won an Oscar for the part.
#10. Ron Livingston
Source: 20th Century Fox
Ron Livingston got a role in Office Space just because he wasn’t well-known at that time. Writer/director Mike Judge cast him instead of bigger stars like Ben Affleck or Matt Damon.
Do you know someone else in this case? We’d be glad to hear from you in the comments!