We’ve all wondered what it would be like if a different actor or actress had filled a role that went to someone else. Oftentimes, we find ourselves wishing it had been someone else in a certain role, as there are plenty of films out there that are grossly miscast. It’s always interesting to find out who tried out for these roles, but actually seeing them audition for them is something else altogther. On the Today show, host Matt Lauer met with two auctioneers who are putting up a series of tapes with rare auditions, featuring the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio trying out for a role as Pony Boy in a TV show based on The Outsiders, Brad Pitt and Keanu Reeves trying out for the lead in BACKDRAFT, Nicole Kidman bringing the waterworks while testing for a role in 1991’s SHATTERED, and another featuring Helen Hunt and Gwyneth Paltrow vying for the role of Ellie Sattler in JURASSIC PARK, which eventually went to Laura Dern.
It’s fascinating to think about what these roles would’ve been like had some of these actors taken on the roles they tried out for (and fascinating to see what happened when they won the roles, as in the case of Crowe and Connelly for A BEAUTIFUL MIND). We often forget that this process goes on every day, with actors auditioning for roles that could end up being career defining or career killers.
Enjoy:
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