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.
"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.
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.
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.”
“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.
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
"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
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
#4 Mel Gibson in Mad Max
Source: © Mad Max 2 / Kennedy Miller Productions
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
#6 Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction
Source: © Pulp Fiction / Miramax and co-producers
“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