7 Craziest Reasons That Actors Landed Their Iconic Roles

We used to assume that actors were chosen mostly based on their acting skills and selecting a movie role must be a true leap of faith for any actor. And if you happen to be an Oscar-winning or otherwise well-known actor, the decision-making process must be even more difficult.
There are many concrete, logical reasons why an actor accepts a role in a film or a television show. Some of them are self-evident like the money is adequate, it's a fun part, it takes place near their house, or it is shot in a beautiful location away from their home, etc. However, others are not the typical pursuit of money, power, and pleasure. The reasons actors land iconic roles are very distinguished. 
For example, directors can sometimes find the right actor just on the street or even on Google. This list is devoted to 7 Reasons That Actors Landed Their Iconic Roles.

#1 Ben Affleck in Gone Girl

Source: © Gone Girl / Twentieth Century Fox and co-producers

Ben Affleck gave one of his best performances as Nick Dunne, a great husband on the hunt for his missing wife while everyone suspected he was involved. Affleck got the part because of his smile, according to director David Fincher.
"You cast movies based on critical scenes." When the local press asks the guy in Gone Girl to stand next to a poster of his missing wife, he has to smile. "I flipped through Google Images and found about 50 shots of Affleck giving that kind of smile in public situations," the director explained.

#2 Emma Watson in Harry Potter

Source: © Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone / Warner Bros. and co-producers

It's difficult to imagine someone else playing Hermione Granger, the Gryffindor overachiever. Joanne Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, thought Emma Watson was "too pretty" to play the character.
Rowling's mind was changed when Watson unexpectedly called her. “I fell absolutely in love with her, she spoke for like 60 seconds at least without drawing breath and I said, ’Emma, you’re perfect,’” Rowling recalls.

#3 Jason Momoa in Game of Thrones

Source: © Game of Thrones / HBO and co-producers

Jason Momoa became well-known in Game of Thrones as Khal Drogo, the brutal leader of his people. The actor was tasked with conveying the character's personality without saying a single word. So he did a Haka, a traditional Mori dance he was familiar with. His powerful performance left the casting directors speechless.

#4 Mel Gibson in Mad Max

Source: © Mad Max 2 / Kennedy Miller Productions

Some people happen to be in the right place at the right time. Mel Gibson was lucky enough to land the famous role in the Mad Max franchise. When Gibson arrived at the audition bruised and battered, he accidentally stole the role from his friend.
Gibson got into a brutal bar fight the day before he had to drive his friend to the audition. His battered face drew the attention of casting directors, who shot photos of him before exclaiming, “Man, we need freaks in this film! When you heal up, come and see us.”

#5 Ryan Gosling in The Notebook

Source: © The Notebook / New Line Cinema and co-producers

For a long time, Ryan Gosling has been everyone's crush, and we used to believe that his appearance helped him get roles. However, this was not always the case. "I want you to play this role because you're not like the other young actors out there in Hollywood," The Notebook director Nick Cassavetes explained. ''You’re not handsome, you’re not cool, you’re just a regular guy who looks a bit nuts.”

#6 Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction

Source: © Pulp Fiction / Miramax and co-producers

Quentin Tarantino arrived late for the audition for the role of Jules Winnfield. Tarantino had arrived when Samuel L. Jackson returned from his lunch break. Jackson was so hungry and annoyed by the director's tardiness that he brought his burger and shake with him when he was called in.
“Me and Quentin were sitting on the couch, and he walked in and just started sipping that shake and biting that burger and looking at all of us. I was scared to death. [...] His eyes were popping out of his head. And he just stole the part,” producer Richard Gladstein recalls.

#7 Wayne Knight in Jurassic Park

Source: © Jurassic Park / Universal Pictures and co-producer

Wayne Knight's sweaty appearance was excellent for Jurassic Park. Steven Spielberg cast him as villain Dennis Nedry after watching him in a scene in Basic Instinct in which the actor nervously observes Sharon Stone crossing her legs.  “What if that were a dinosaur?” Spielberg wondered as he watched.