12 Pairs Of Actors Who Had To Compete With Their Friends For A Role

Acting, by nature, is a competitive industry. When there is just one position and numerous actors are considered, a feeling of competition is innate in the casting process. So, how many times have you heard an actor mention that they saw someone at an audition and their heart dropped because they assumed the other actor would get the role? Or the famous stories of performers who fought each other viciously for roles throughout their careers? 
Interesting anecdotes, but here we have an even more interesting problem which is what happens if your competitor is your best friend? Well, this has actually happened to some famous faces. If you're curious about celebs who had to fight their BFFs for a role, keep scrolling down to see.

#1 Leonardo DiCaprio & Matthew McConaughey - Titanic

Source: John Shearer / Invision / AP / East News

Did you know Matthew McConaughey had a chance to play Jack Dawson in "Titanic"? These two attractive actors have competed for parts on several occasions throughout the years, and while Matthew won the Oscar for Best Actor in 2014, Leonardo earned the main role in Titanica. In fact, in a 2017 interview, Kate Winslet said that she had a screen test with the actor from "How to Lose a Man in 10 Days".

#2 Tiffani Thiessen & Jennie Garth - Saved By the Bell

Source: Jim Spellman 

Tiffani Thiesen and Jenny Garth were friends when they were both auditioned for the role of Kelly Kapowski in "Saved by the Bell". The girls' friendship did not suffer as a result of their battle for the role. But something happened between them afterward, and no one knows what it was.

#3 Taraji Henson & Kerry Washington - Scandal

Source: D Dipasupil  

Taraji P. Henson also auditioned for the role of Olivia Pope in "Scandal" but the big winner ended up being her friend Kerry Washington. "When I showed up to read for Shonda Rhimes, in my mind I was like, ‘This is Kerry Washington. What am I doing here? It was hers’ "- says Henson. That job was hers and she did it very well.

#4 Laura Dern & Gwyneth Paltrow - Jurassic Park

Source: USA TODAY Network / Sipa USA / East News

Gwyneth and Laura both tried out for the character of Dr. Ellie Sattler in "Jurassic Park" (1993). But, as we all know, the great lucky one was none other than Laura Dern.

#5 Selma Blair, Sarah Michelle Gellar & Katie Holmes - Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Source: Jeff Kravitz  

Selma has been open about how much she wanted to portray Joey Potter in "Dawson's Creek", but that it didn't bother her when Katie Holmes won. However, Selma was not the only one of her friends that auditioned for the job, Sarah Michelle Gellar, another friend of the actress, also did not receive it. Also, the two '90s movie icons fought for the role of Buffy in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". However, Sarah Michelle was cast in the role.

#6 Gwen Stefani & Angelina Jolie - Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Source: ANGELA WEISS / AFP / East News , Marco Provvisionato / IPA / SIPA / Sipa Press / East News  

Gwen Stefani and Angelina Jolie are close friends, but many might not know that they both competed for the main part in the film. "It was something between Angelina Jolie and me. Oh great. I have a chance here." - by Gwen Stefani

#7 Amy Adams & Reese Witherspoon - The Master

Source: © Vanity Fair / YouTube

Reese Witherspoon was considered for the role of Peggy Dodd in the film "The Master", according to director Paul Thomas Anderson (2013). Reese, on the other hand, did not hesitate to support Amy when she was picked. Amy was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her outstanding performance.

#8 Timothée Chalamet & Lucas Hedges - Interstellar

Source: East News, Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP / East News

According to Lucas, he and Timothée have competed in the same sections many times. In reality, both contested Tom's position in "Interstellar". Their same interests, though, prompted them to become excellent friends, and they even collaborated on "Ladybird" in 2017.

#9 John Krasinski & Chris Evans - Captain America

Source: Kevin Mazur

Many of us may have assumed that Chris Evans was a clear choice to play Captain America, but what we didn't know was that his pal John Krasinski also auditioned for the role of Steve Rogers.'I just saw Chris a couple of weeks ago and we were still laughing about it. I told him, ‘I love that you retired with my role.’ - by John

#10 Charlie Cox & Tom Hiddleston - Thor

Source: Bruce Glikas

Tom admitted that he and Charlie became friends as a result of repeatedly applying for the same role
We always saw each other at the same auditions and became very good friends as a result. So we’d walk out of auditions and say, “Do you want to go get something to eat? Let’s go get a burger.”
Charlie was considered for the part of Loki but Tom Hiddleston eventually got it. After his failure at auditioning for the part of Loki, Charlie Cox landed the role of Matt Murdock in Daredevil in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

#11 Mel Gibson & Anthony Hopkins - Thor

Source: © The Bounty / Dino De Laurentiis Company and co-producers

Gibson and Hopkins have known each other since 1984 when they worked on The Mutiny on the Bounty. Who would have guessed they'd wind up competing to portray Odin, the Norse deity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? And finally, Gibson took on the role.

#12 Emma Stone & Jennifer Lawrence - Easy A

Source: East News

Jennifer revealed her desire to portray Olive in "Easy Ato" at an event attended by both actors in November 2017. And Emma responded jokingly: ‘Well guess what? You didn’t get it. You didn’t get it because you suck!’