Actors can try for years to land a decent role, and even when they do, it's no guarantee
of success.
Those who manage to make it big often say the same thing: they were in the right place
at the right time.
Have a look at the auditions that changed everything for these actors.
Daisy Ridley
Playing Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens catapulted Daisy Ridley onto the A-list.
Hundreds of young actresses auditioned for the part, including established stars like
Chloë Grace Moretz and Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan, so when Disney announced the casting
of a young British actress named Daisy Ridley, Hollywood let out a collective exclamation
of "Who?"
Prior to her Star Wars audition, Ridley had limited exposure to an international audience,
appearing mostly in British films and television, but her audition for The Force Awakens changed
everything.
For her screen test, Ridley had to perform a scene in which her character is tortured
by the film's villain, Kylo Ren.
"When we brought her in, I asked her to do this one scene, sort of this one torture scene,
very sort of intense.
And she just blew my mind.
She's reaching this depth of struggle, and tears are streaming down her face.
I thought, this is unbelievable."
Director J.J. Abrams and producer Kathleen Kennedy were impressed, and Ridley became
one of the first actors cast in the film, which unsurprisingly went on to become the
highest-grossing movie of 2015, thanks, of course, to The Force.
"That's not how the Force works!"
(Chewbacca sound)
Hugh Jackman
The original X-Men in 2000 introduced the world to Hugh Jackman, and the actor has relished
his A-list status ever since.
Prior to playing Wolverine, Jackman had mostly worked on the Australian stage, performing
in musicals like Oklahoma! and Sunset Boulevard.
That all changed when a casting director eyed him to play the hairy, clawed mutant, though
his initial audition was very low-key for the berserker.
"I'm not like you."
"Oh right, you're just a normal, everyday claw-guy."
"Listen kid, about the only thing you've done to endear yourself to me is to get me into
a fight, so listen to me.
Shut up."
Director Bryan Singer loved Jackman's audition, but Fox studio executives weren't convinced,
and wanted a bigger name, initially casting Dougray Scott in the part.
When Scott had to decline the role due to scheduling conflicts, Singer turned back to
Jackman, giving him a screen test opposite actress Anna Paquin.
This time, he won the role, despite his wife's objections.
"I like to say it was my business plan, it was a complete fluke.
Deb said 'you shouldn't do it.'
She thought it was a terrible idea to do Wolverine.
The only time in 20 years she's been wrong.
Please and you feel free to edit that out."
Harrison Ford
It's hard to imagine now, but Harrison Ford had a difficult time in Hollywood after relocating
from his native state of Wisconsin.
He initially managed to secure small TV roles and a few bit parts in films, but for ten
years, he continued to struggle financially, supplementing his income by working as a stagehand
and carpenter.
That's where Ford caught the attention of casting director Fred Roos, who recommended
him for American Graffiti, directed by George Lucas.
Despite the film's success, Ford still struggled to find roles.
Years later, an actor scheduled to read for the role of Star Wars' resident space scoundrel
Han Solo failed to show up for his read.
"Scoundrel?
Scoundrel?
I like the sound of that."
George Lucas contacted Ford to come in while actresses tested for the female lead.
The director saw something special in Ford and asked him for his own audition.
"Well I'm not gonna take you on an impossible chase across the galaxy.
I was paid to bring you here and now you're here.
Give me my other five thousand and I'll be on my way.
You're on you're own.
I'm on my own.
I'll let you off on the nearest system."
Also reading for the role of Han Solo?
A young Kurt Russell.
Sigourney Weaver
Though it would be years before she impressed audiences with her vocal abilities…
"There is no Dana only Zuul."
"What a lovely singing voice you must have."
...Sigourney Weaver began her career off-Broadway, having graduated from Yale's drama program.
After kind of appearing in a small, very small role in Woody Allen's hit Annie Hall, a casting
director suggested Weaver to director Ridley Scott, who was casting a new science fiction
film called Alien.
"Oh I'll get off your back, as soon as 12 module is fixed."
"We're working on it.
I only got two hands."
"Well put down your beer can and use both of them and maybe you'll get it done."
Scott had trouble deciding between Weaver and a friend and co-star of hers, Meryl Streep,
since both had tested for the part.
He invited several women from the production office to view the two screen tests, and the
women immediately said Weaver as their favorite.
Alien would become an international sensation, spawning a number of sequels and making Weaver
a star.
Three Oscar nominations later, it's safe to say Scott made a good choice with Weaver.
Christopher Reeve
He's the most popular superhero in the world, so casting Superman in his first, big, full-color
theatrical outing was a pretty big deal for producers Ilya and Alexander Salkind.
After hiring director Richard Donner to helm the production, the creative team auditioned
established stars like James Caan and Paul Newman, and even then-unknown bodybuilder
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Casting director Lynn Stalmaster suggested a young actor named Christopher Reeve, who'd
studied drama at the esteemed Juilliard school and had a number of stage credits to his name.
Donner and the Salkinds first resisted casting Reeve, deeming him too thin.
Still, at the insistence of Stalmaster, Donner allowed Reeve to do a screen test.
"Oh I come from a planet in the Xeno galaxy.
A place called Krypton.
"Krypton?
With a C-R-Y?"
"No.
No, actually it's Krypton, with a K-R-Y."
The director would later recall that when he saw Reeve, dressed in the full Superman
costume, jump onto the screen for the first time, he knew he'd found his Superman.
Reeve would go on to play the role in three subsequent sequels, becoming a cultural icon
along the way.
Gabourey Sidibe
The 1996 novel Push had become something of a cult sensation by 2009 when film director
Lee Daniels selected it as his next film project.
The story about an abused teenage girl attracted acclaim as well as criticism for its raw,
dark themes.
Casting the right person in the lead role was vital, as most of the drama of the story
would fall on the shoulders of the leading actress.
The film, which was retitled Precious, offered an open call for actresses to audition regardless
of experience.
Gabourey Sidibe heard about the audition, but she'd never acted on screen before.
Fortunately, Sidibe gave a stunning audition, beating out 300 other girls.
"For what?
How?
I feel like, like I'm drowning in a giant river."
Sidibe filmed the movie in only a few weeks, but Precious would go on to become a lasting
critical and commercial sensation, earning her a Best Actress Academy Award nomination.
Daniel Radcliffe
The Harry Potter book series was already a pop culture phenomenon by the time Warner
Bros. won the rights to produce film adaptations of the series' first four books in 1998.
The series would face one main logistical problem: with each book set a year apart,
all of the films would need to be filmed in rapid succession so that their child actors
would age naturally.
An 11-year-old actor named Daniel Radcliffe attracted the attention of producer David
Heyman.
Radcliffe had acted in a just a couple of British television productions before scoring
his audition for Harry Potter, and had to audition several times over a period of eight
months before his final screen test.
"That's a dragon egg.
That's what that is
But what did you get it, Hagrid?
It must've cost you a fortune."
J.K.
Rowling gave her approval, and just like that, Radcliffe was the face of a blockbuster franchise.
And then...he'd go on to play a farting corpse.
No points for Gryffindor on that one.
Thanks for watching!
Click the Looper icon to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Plus check out all this cool stuff we know you'll love, too!