Adam Driver's ascent to the A-list over the past decade has been as surprising as it has
been fascinating.
The actors' awkwardly rugged good looks certainly set him apart from the pack, but it's his
fierce commitment to his craft that garnered attention from some of the biggest directors
in Hollywood.
It was Driver's work on Lena Dunham's HBO hit Girls that helped get the attention of
J.J. Abrams, who was looking to cast a relative unknown as the villain in his new movie.
That movie was none other Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and the role was the new trilogy's
central bad guy, Kylo Ren. Abrams decided that Driver would be his Kylo, and he flew
him out to Bad Robot headquarters and straight up offered him the part.
Wary of boarding such a big project, Driver almost passed on the choice role.
Luckily he took the part and became the dynamic, complex villain the next generation of Stars
Wars fans deserved.
Alan Rickman — Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
By now, we're all familiar with the rigorous casting search that the producers of the Harry
Potter film franchise underwent to find just the right youngsters to portray the young
wizards Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
That search saw producers sorting through thousands of young British faces and organizing
dozens of auditions before settling on Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint for
the coveted roles.
And even then, those faces had to be approved by author J.K.
Rowling herself.
Overall, Rowling had plenty of sway over who appeared in the adaptations of her bestselling
book series.
When it came down to casting the pivotal role of Severus Snape, Rowling insisted that the
great Alan Rickman was the only actor who could play the part right.
"How did that film role come about for you?"
"Um…
I was asked to do it."
If you've seen the films, well, it's tough to argue with her choice.
It's impossible to imagine another actor as Snape, and the franchise is all the more accessible
for Rickman's deeply nuanced performance.
Chris Evans — Captain America: The First Avenger
There's no denying that Marvel Entertainment has produced some of the biggest and boldest
superhero films Hollywood has ever seen.
They've accomplished that feat by thinking outside the blockbuster box when choosing
directors to guide their properties through production a habit that started when they
tapped Jon Favreau to helm Iron Man.
Still, Marvel doesn't always get enough credit for making inspired choices in their casting.
Lest we forget, they opened the MCU by hedging bets on Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man.
Marvel made Downey jump or, rather, fly through hoops to prove he was right for the job, but
Chris Evans had a much easier time landing the lead in Captain America: The First Avenger.
In fact, he didn't even need to audition to score the coveted role.
Turns out Evans' absurdly all-American looks had already caught the eye of director Joe
Johnston, who convinced Marvel to cast the actor without so much as a screen test.
While Evans has become one of the most recognizable stars in the world since landing the role,
his casting felt like a metered risk at the time, one we're grateful to Marvel for taking.
Chadwick Boseman — Captain America: Civil War
Prior to joining the MCU as the future king of Wakanda, Chadwick Boseman was already well
on his way to becoming a star.
In the years leading up to his MCU debut, he steadily worked his way from bit parts
on TV shows like Fringe…
"You realize just what you did to me?
If you had given me some special power, that'd be one thing — maybe I'd be special."
...to starring in a couple of the better biopics produced in the past decade.
"Don't let them get to you."
"I won't.
God built me to last."
Those choice roles aside, it still seemed like not enough people knew who Boseman was.
Turns out that while not many audiences knew Boseman's work, the right people did including
Captain America: Civil War directors Joe and Anthony Russo.
When Marvel Studios decided it was finally time to bring Black Panther into the mix,
they almost instantly and unanimously decided he was not just right for the part of king
T'Challa, but the only actor who was.
They had Boseman on the phone the next day, offering him the role without an audition.
"Wakanda forever!"
Bill Murray — Lost In Translation
By the time Bill Murray agreed to star in Sofia Coppola's sophomore film, he already
had a dozen or so unforgettable roles to his credit.
Throughout the '80s and '90s, the legendary funnyman was delivering iconic work for practically
every film he appeared in.
"I'm a god."
"You're God?"
"...I'm A god I'm not THE god…
I don't think."
Seems Coppola was paying attention, and she was adamant about casting the actor as the
lead in her existential drama Lost in Translation.
She even wrote the screenplay specifically with Murray in mind, and claims she wouldn't
have made the film if he'd turned down the role, so there was no audition process to
be had.
"For a relaxing time, make it Suntory time."
It actually seems more like Coppola was the one who auditioned for Murray.
As the story goes, Coppola had a mutual friend pass an early draft of the Lost in Translation
script along to Murray, who then set up a meeting.
The pair hit it off, and Murray agreed to do the film only he never actually signed
a contract to that effect.
On Murray's word alone, Coppola took her cast and crew to Tokyo and started production,
unsure of whether he'd even show up.
Luckily for her and movie lovers in general Murray showed.
He also delivered an Oscar-nominated performance that stands among the finest of his career.