There is a possibility that viewers will form a strong relationship between the characters and the actors who play them. To begin, we cannot see anybody other than Leonardo DiCaprio playing the role of Jack in the Titanic movie.
But not all performers, including Leo himself, got selected for the character they portrayed so effortlessly. If they hadn't been chosen, our present-day might have been completely different from how it is now had they been rejected.
Source: Friends
Friends' producers saw a lot of Courteney Cox when they were casting Rachel Green. Cox, however, persuaded the producers that she would be better suited as Monica, and today, more than 25 years after the show's premiere, everyone, including the producers, can see that she was right. Thus, Jennifer Aniston was cast as Rachel.
2. Jon Hamm in Mad Men
Source: Mad Men
Casting the primary actor to play Don Draper was a top priority for the show's producers. This meant that Jon Hamm had to undergo an inhumane audition procedure seven or eight times. The actor indicated that his entire career hinged on the outcome of the most recent audition he gave and that all it would take to lose his shot would be one lousy read.
3. Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption
Source: The Shawshank Redemption
After Morgan Freeman read the story of The Shawshank Redemption was based on, he decided against accepting the part. After reading only one page, the actor realized that the character he was supposed to portray was Irish and was prepared to decline the opportunity since he "couldn't play an Irishman." However, the film producers persuaded him that his character need not be Irish.
4. Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic
Source: Titanic
Even before Titanic, Leonardo DiCaprio was a Hollywood hot topic, and he seemed to assume that every filmmaker would want to cast him. That's why he didn't bother reading his lines for the camera when he was advised to audition for the film. Leo suddenly returned to reality and did a screen test with Kate Winslet very enthusiastically after being informed by director James Cameron that his refusal to audition meant he wouldn't win the role.
5. Sadie Sink in Stranger Things
Source: Stranger Things
Sadie Sink, who played Max on Stranger Things and was just 14 at the time, almost didn't get the role because she was judged to be "too mature" for her age. Nonetheless, she was able to persuade the casting directors to provide her with extra material so that she could show them she had something new to offer.
6. Scarlett Johansson As Black Widow
Source: Black Widow
Scarlett Johansson was disappointed that she was not the first choice to portray Black Widow. She expressed interest in working with Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr., both of whom she praised. Instead, the part went to Emily Blunt. Blunt, however, had to decline the role since she had already committed to another project. Johansson was relieved afterward that she would no longer be playing the
Marvel character, and Favreau approached her again, this time with even better news.
7. Richard Dreyfuss in Jaws
Source: Jaws
Richard Dreyfuss's career was flipped upside down by his portrayal as Hooper in Jaws, although at first, the actor was reluctant to take part.
"My initial response was 'no thanks,'" the actor recalled. Even Steven Spielberg questioned my reasoning, and I just responded, "I'm lazy, and I'd rather watch it than film it."vThen he saw his last film and realized he was so bad in it that he'd never get another acting gig again. Thus, Dreyfuss apologized to Spielberg by pleading for the part.
Source: The Hunger Games
To prevent her favorite book series from being ruined, she went into the audition to let the director know why she doesn't think the novels would translate well to the big screen. But the director sided with her, saying that he, too, is a huge admirer. After hearing his concept, the young actress accepted the adaptation and agreed to play the lead role.