In Hollywood, there are more actors than parts.
When you're trying to get a career going, rejection is par for the course.
Still, it's hard to believe some of these failed auditions that cost huge actors some
legendary roles…
Robert De Niro - The Godfather
Sure, he won Best Supporting Actor for playing young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part
II.
But Robert De Niro actually auditioned for the part of Sonny in the first Godfather movie.
"You gonna take both of them?
Nanana you gonna take them?
Ey you know what they gonna do to you?
Ey you know what you do when you knock somebody off?
You take a gun you shoot him right up against his f---ing head that's what you do.
You get his, ya get his brains all over your nice new Ivy League suit, Michael that's what
happens."
James Caan got it, but that's okay.
Sonny was a chump.
Vito was a legend.
Seth Rogen and Bob Odenkirk - The Office
Between Freaks and Geeks' cancellation in 2000 and The 40-Year-Old Virgin in 2005, Seth
Rogen had a bit of a dry spell.
During that period, he auditioned for the role of Dwight on The Office.
"Urine is sterile.
Did you know that?
If you're in the field, you can clean a man's wound by taking a whiz on it."
Rainn Wilson got the part...and Rogen went on to become an A-list actor and writer.
Meanwhile, Bob Odenkirk was already a comedy legend when he auditioned for the lead role
of Michael Scott.
"We play hard, and we work hard.
Sometimes we uh probably play hard when we should be working hard but that's probably
my fault but...fire me."
He lost to Steve Carell, best known at the time as a correspondent on The Daily Show.
Odenkirk must've been pretty close, because he guest-starred in the final season as an
eerily Michael Scott-esque boss at an office where Pam lands an interview.
"Hey guys!
Say something!"
"Hello!"
"Hi I'm Mark!
I'm the uh horrible boss around here but please don't hire Jaimie Foxx to kill me."
"Djangooooo!"
"I don't agree with the use of the N word in that movie, it's too soon."
Scarlett Johansson - Jumanji
This future Avenger started as a child star—her first big-screen role came when she was just
nine, in the 1994 comedy North.
The following year, ScarJo missed out on Jumanji to Kirsten Dunst.
"Would forget about the stupid game, now close it up and put it away!"
Josh Hutcherson - Amazing Spider-Man
Every young actor between 18 and 30 probably had a shot at Peter Parker and his agile alter-ego.
Josh Hutcherson had just filmed his first Hunger Games when he showed up for this audition.
One franchise would have to do.
Despite Hutcherson's solid screen test for 2012's Amazing Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield
wore the webs.
Gwyneth Paltrow - Jurassic Park
Steven Spielberg cast Paltrow in a bit part in Hook.
Two years later he got her an audition for his surefire dinosaur blockbuster.
"Or maybe, maybe it's just ritual behavior, species specific behavior that serves to identify
them to one another.
But maybe it doesn't have any broader meaning."
But the future Oscar winner apparently just wasn't as good as Laura Dern.
Brad Pitt - "Backdraft"
Handsome?
Check.
Talented?
Check.
But in 1991, casting directors hadn't seen Brad Pitt's full potential yet.
He auditioned for Backdraft…
"Ya know, these new stations, are part of how Commissioner Swayzak's wrecking this department."
But instead they went with the Brad Pitt of 1991, Billy Baldwin.
Jeremy Sisto - Titanic
Jeremy Sisto was hot off his appearance as Elton in Clueless when he auditioned for Titanic.
Today it's impossible to imagine anyone but Leonardo DiCaprio yelling about being king
of the world in the James Cameron blockbuster, but it's still fascinating to watch his screen
test with Kate Winslet.
"Thank you"
"Oh thank you.
I mean, I mean thank you for thanking me.
I mean you're welcome."
A few years after whiffing on this role, Sisto landed a gig on Six Feet Under and went on
to star in Law & Order, Suburgatory, and plenty more.
Kurt Russell - Star Wars
Unfortunately for Kurt Russell, he auditioned for the soon-to-be-iconic role of Han Solo
against Harrison Ford, the only actor of the era who was more effortlessly cool than Kurt
Russell.
"I was only paid to bring ya here and now you're here.
So I'll just take my other 5000 and you're on your own."
It's okay.
Harrison Ford never could have handled Snake Plissken or Jack Burton.
"Ah ya know what ol Jack Burton always says at a time like this?"
"Who?"
"Jack Burton, me!"
Tom Selleck - Raiders of the Lost Ark
It's the most famous Hollywood "what if": Tom Selleck was offered the role of Indiana
Jones, but had to refuse because he was stuck filming Magnum, P.I. Harrison Ford strikes
again.
"Hello Marion."
"Look, I did what I did I don't expect you to be happy about it, but maybe it can do
us both some good."
"Why start now?!"
"Just shut up, shut up and listen to me.
Now I need that piece your father had."
But oh, what could've been!
Indiana Jones would've had a killer mustache, for example.
Thanks for watching!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch more videos like the one you just saw.
And leave us a comment to let us know which actor you would've rather seen get the part...