Since casting is such an integral part of any film, directors will typically hold auditions
for key roles.
This means that even some of the biggest stars in the industry have to try out before they
sign on for a project – regardless of how talented they are.
Sometimes, these screen tests don’t always go so well.
It doesn’t matter if the thespian in question has won numerous awards throughout their career;
there’s always a chance they’re just not the best fit for a certain role.
And they find that hard the hard way.
Here are 10 talented actors with the scariest audition stories.
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Eddie Redmayne
Eddie Redmayne has received an Oscar for playing Steven Hawking and is now a part of J.K.
Rowling’s famed wizarding world, but there is one thing we know he can’t do: be a villain
in a Star Wars film.
Redmayne was one of the actors who read for Kylo Ren during pre-production on The Force
Awakens, and it’s safe to say he bombed his audition.
Due to the secrecy of the project, Redmayne was reciting lines from other movies and only
knew his would-be character was a bad guy.
He started doing a poor Darth Vader impression and spoke in a funny voice, which didn’t
win over the casting directors.
At least he has Newt Scamander.
Aaron Paul
The Breaking Bad star had a minor role in J.J.
Abrams’ Mission: Impossible 3, so it’s no surprise he met with the filmmaker again
while Abrams was working on Cloverfield.
When Paul arrived for the audition, Abrams had the actor tell a story of a cool card
trick he performed during M:I 3, which caused Paul to lose his train of thought.
Instead of delivering a three-page monologue he memorized, Paul had to stop in the middle
of it and apologize.
All Abrams said was ‘That’s OK.
Thanks for coming in.’
and Paul left without the part.
But shortly after he became Jesse Pinkman, so it all worked out.
Blake Lively
Lively looked to make movies at a very young age, trying out for the hit comedy Mrs. Doubtfire
when she was just 5-years old.
Blake’s mom didn’t want her daughter to get star struck by Robin Williams, so she
told Blake that she’d be reading with the comedian’s twin brother.
When Lively walked in, the filmmakers introduced her to the one and only Robin Williams, and
Blake’s response was, “You’re not his twin?”
You can probably guess how things went after that.
When Blake came out of the room, she told mom that Williams had morning breath and moved
on.
Now that Lively is a successful actress, she can laugh about that mishap.
Chris Evans
These days, people are in awe to meet Captain America, but prior to the actor’s Marvel
days, it was the other way around.
Evans met with Ben Affleck to audition for the Boston legend’s directorial debut, Gone
Baby Gone.
Upon arriving, Evans became nervous and asked Affleck if the parking spot he chose was OK.
After an awkward conversation about parking meters ensued, Evans was mortified and couldn’t
wait to leave the room.
He was so upset that he gave Affleck one-word answers to any question asked and kept rocking
in the chair he was sitting in.
Now that they’re both established superheroes, maybe Affleck and Evans can work together
one day.
Chris Pine
Chris Pine made a name for himself as the new Captain Kirk in the rebooted Star Trek
series, but he could have had a role in a different 2009 sci-fi blockbuster.
Pine was in the running for James Cameron’s Avatar, but his audition went horribly.
Recalling the experience, Pine mentioned that he went into the room not believing in himself
as he tried to picture Cameron’s ambitious vision for the film.
He stopped halfway through his reading, and the casting director was either smiling or
laughing at him.
Neither one would be ideal, and the role of Jake Sully eventually went to Sam Worthington.
Pine has led three successful Star Trek movies, so it’s clear he’s got talent.
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal has emerged as a chameleon actor capable of completing transforming himself
for a role, but he’s steered clear of big-budget productions.
Maybe his awful experience auditioning for Lord of the Rings played a role in that.
Gyllenhaal read for Frodo, but nobody told the actor that the character had an English
accent.
Gyllenhaal recited his lines in an American accent, which didn’t please Peter Jackson.
The director told Gyllenhaal to fire his agents and felt it was one of the worst auditions
he’d seen.
This is why it’s always best to prepare as much as possible, a lesson Gyllenhaal seems
to have learned.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leo has played everything from a sleazy stockbroker to a dream thief to a vicious slave owner
in his career, so there’s very little he can’t do.
Director Baz Luhrmann discovered one limitation of DiCaprio while casting Moulin Rouge: singing.
Leo admitted he feels he has a horrible singing voice, but tried out for the musical anyway.
Luhrmann played piano while DiCaprio sang a tune, and when the Oscar winner reached
a high note, Luhrmann stopped and said, “I don’t know if this conversation should continue.”
Leo has acted in numerous genres, but this is one he probably won’t audition for again.
Some people just aren’t cut out for singing.
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper quickly rose to the top of the A-list thanks to a trio of Oscar nominated
performances that made him an awards season mainstay, but before he became a critical
darling, his career could have taken a different trajectory.
Cooper was one of the names considered for 2011’s Green Lantern, but the actor didn’t
really take his audition seriously.
His screen test amounted to doing an impersonation of Christian Bale’s gravely voiced Batman,
when the casting people wanted him to just talk normally.
Cooper didn’t get the role, and that turned out to be a bullet dodged.
Now, we’re just wondering when he’ll win his Academy Award instead of how he’ll recover
from a flop.
Daniel Radcliffe
You know the old saying, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it?”
Even a kind-hearted hero like Harry Potter forgets that sometimes.
While in an audition, Daniel Radcliffe was gossiping about somebody when another person
came walking in the room.
Radcliffe continued his story and when he finished, he came to the sobering realization
that the person he was talking about was a good friend of who Radcliffe had to audition
for.
We don’t know which movie this was, but it’s safe to say it’s not a project on
the actor’s IMDb page.
Talk about an awkward situation.
Channing Tatum
Channing Tatum has gone from a pretty boy to a go-to actor who has worked with respected
auteurs like Steven Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino, and the Coen brothers, but he had a rocky
journey to the top.
Earlier in his career, Tatum auditioned for a role in Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, but
he forgot the most important lesson: remember your lines.
Yes.
Tatum could not remember the dialogue he was supposed to say during the screen test and
ended up freaking out and sweating profusely.
He obviously didn’t get that part, but he managed to turn things around down the road
and become a Hollywood leading man.
Chloe Grace-Moretz
The legendary Martin Scorsese is a director every actor dreams of working with, and when
auditioning for him, there’s no limits to what people will attempt to get in his favor.
When trying out for one of the lead roles in Scorsese’s love letter to cinema Hugo,
Chloe Grace-Moretz rolled the dice and told the filmmaker a little lie.
The Georgia-born actress told Marty that she was British and tried to pass it off so she
could get the part.
Apparently, Chloe is good at fudging up the truth, since Scorsese cast her in Hugo.
If he was impressed, Moretz did something right.
Conclusion
Those are just some of the worst audition stories from the A-listers.
Which ones did we miss?
Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to subscribe so you can see more videos!