Every actor has a bad audition story, and even the biggest stars are not immune. From Meryl Streep to Julia Roberts, the road to stardom is paved with cringe-worthy moments that could have altered film history. In La La Land, Emma Stone's character endures a brutal audition, highlighting the universal struggle. Meanwhile, Mahershala Ali recently recounted his own mishap during a Game of Thrones audition, where he sat on the wrong chair.
Chris Klein's audition for Mamma Mia! took a dark turn, portraying his character as a slimy serial killer with a Mandy Moore fixation. Had he been cast, the film would have been drastically different. Similarly, Brad Pitt's tryout for Backdraft saw him as a space cowboy, delivering lines with a bizarre cadence that would have left everything in flames.
Scarlett Johansson, now a celebrated actress, auditioned for Jumanji with a Charlie Brown-esque delivery that made her sound like a perpetual loser. If she had landed the role, the film might have included a melancholic scene of her trudging down a street pursued by a lion.
Matthew Fox, known for playing Jack in Lost, auditioned for the role of Sawyer but brought a wobbly-headed intensity that was impossible to love. He later used those same traits to portray a serial killer in Alex Cross. Julia Roberts, meanwhile, auditioned for Seven Minutes in Heaven with overt sarcasm and resentment, but the film's final product was distractedly bored, suggesting she tried too hard.
Perhaps the most famous story involves Meryl Streep, who auditioned for King Kong in the 1970s. Producer Dino De Laurentiis called her 'too ugly' in Italian, not realizing she understood him. Streep replied in Italian, teaching him a lesson. These audition tales remind us that even the most talented actors face rejection, and sometimes, the best roles are the ones they don't get.
