27 Casting Shake-Ups That Completely Changed Famous TV & Movies
![27 Casting Shake-Ups That Completely Changed Famous TV & Movies](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/4/2/860142_320x180.jpg)
Casting is one of the most important parts of any television or movie production-- Sure, the scripts may be important, and French auteur theory posits that the director is the actual author of a film, but that doesn't change the fact that the actors are the literal face of any given production… By this logic, it shouldn't be controversial to say that major casting shake-ups would radically change how a movie or show could turn out. Would the Back to the Future films be the longstanding success that they are without the likable charisma of Michael J. Fox? We nearly lived in a world where we could have found out, and Eric Stoltz was the one travelling back to the 50s to mack on his Mom.
And that's nowhere near the most radical casting change-- Did you know that Sandra Bullock was offered the lead role of Neo in The Matrix? We don't know if the movie would have been better, but damn if we aren't curious about it!
Breakfast at Tiffany's
![MARILYN MONROE COULD HAVE STARRED IN CRACKED.COM BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S. Truman Capote's novel had a more tragic tone than the Paramount production, and the author always pictured the character of Holly as a blonde. However, producers chose to put a more positive, innocent spin on the role, and chose Audrey Hepburn. And just like that, the world missed out on a breathy, sultry rendition of Moon River.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/3/8/860138.jpg)
Source: 19 Roles That Were Almost Played By Waay Different Actors
The Matrix
![SANDRA BULLOCK TURNED DOWN THE ROLE OF NEO. CRACKED.COM ... I I CCV MBY The producers of The Matrix approached a number of actors in their long search to find Neo. One of them was Bullock, and they were willing to change Neo into a woman if she accepted. Bullock wasn't interested, deciding that starring in Forces of Nature, a now-forgotten romcom, was a better career choice.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/3/9/860139.jpg)
Source: 19 Roles That Were Almost Played By Waay Different Actors
![PAMELA ANDERSON COULD HAVE BEEN AGENT SCULLY. CRACKED.COM FBI Gillian Anderson revealed in an interview that Pamela Anderson (no relation) was the producers' initial choice for the skeptical Dana Scully. Apparently the producers were banking on Pamela's experience and Baywatch popularity. Can aliens run in slow motion? We'll never know.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/4/0/860140.jpg)
Source: 19 Roles That Were Almost Played By Waay Different Actors
Shrek
![Shrek В SHREK CRACKED COM The whole movie was built around Chris Farley, who recorded an estimated 90% of his dialogue before suddenly passing away. They had to start all over with Mike Meyers, who recorded 100% of his lines before having an epiphany that he should re-record them in a Scottish accent.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/3/1/860131.jpg)
Source: 15 Actors Who Had To Be Replaced Mid-Production: First Episode / Last Episode
There Will Be Blood
![There Will Be Blood B ELI SUNDAY CRACKED.COM Kel O'Neill was supposed to play Eli Sunday while Paul Dano played Paul Sunday. O'Neil was reportedly intimidated to work with Daniel Day-Lewis, so two weeks into filming, Dano was asked to play both brothers.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/3/2/860132.jpg)
Source: 15 Actors Who Had To Be Replaced Mid-Production: First Episode / Last Episode
The Departed
![The Departed BE CAPTAIN QUEENAN CRACKED.COM Gerard McSorley spent weeks working with Boston police officers, when Martin Scorsese decided to haul in Martin Sheen to replace him after filming had already begun.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/2/6/860126.jpg)
Source: 15 Actors Who Had To Be Replaced Mid-Production: First Episode / Last Episode
Her
![Her В SAMANTHA DI VAL s CO CRACKED.COM Spike Jonze realized in post-production that having Samantha Morton perform her lines completely isolated from Joaquin Phoenix created exactly о chemistry. So he had Scarlett Johansson come in and re-record the lines for four months.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/2/3/860123.jpg)
Source: 15 Actors Who Had To Be Replaced Mid-Production: First Episode / Last Episode
Panic Room
![Panic Room В MEG ALTMAN CRACKED.COM Nicole Kidman pushed herself to the very limits of her Moulin Rouge injuries, but had to be replaced by Jodie Foster 18 days into production.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/2/5/860125.jpg)
Source: 15 Actors Who Had To Be Replaced Mid-Production: First Episode / Last Episode
Aliens
![CRACKED.COM corporal Hicks was replaced because of drugs. Hicks is the only Marine left alive when Aliens ends, but his original actor didn't make it to the end of shooting. James Remar was fired over a drug arrest. Michael Biehn was flown in overnight, and was the only actor who didn't get to customize his military gear.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/5/860115.jpg)
Frasier
![CRACKED.COM Lisa Kudrow wasn't a good ROZ. Kudrow and Peri Gilpin were the two final choices for Roz Doyle in Frasier- and the producers went with Kudrow. But her quirky style wasn't a good fit for the character, so the runner-up stepped up after a short time.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/4/860114.jpg)
![The Lord of the Rings BE ARAGORN CRACKED.COM Peter Jackson decided, four days into filming and after several months of training, that Stuart Townsend was too young for the role. Не eventualy landed on Viggo Mortensen (after considering Russell Crowe and Daniel Day-Lewis).](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/8/860118.jpg)
Source: 15 Actors Who Had To Be Replaced Mid-Production: First Episode / Last Episode
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
![The Imaginarium of BE Doctor Parnassus TONY CRACKED COM Heath Ledger passed away one month into production, so Terry Gilliam chose to have the character transform into different handsome celebrities throughout the film: Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/1/860111.jpg)
Source: 15 Actors Who Had To Be Replaced Mid-Production: First Episode / Last Episode
X-Men
![CRACKED.COM Dougray scott was too late to play wolverine. You may remember Scott as the bad guy in Mission: Impossible 2. Не remembers that as well, as delays with that shoot made him miss his appointment with X-Men. Hugh Jackman was cast as a replacement and fitted for his claws in record time.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/9/860119.jpg)
Beverly Hills Cop
![CRACKED.COM sylvester stallone blew his own chances to play Axel Foley. BEVE HIL Stallone was the first choice to star in Beverly Hills Cop. Не accepted-and immediately rewrote the script to make it less comedic and more action- oriented. Nope, said the folks in charge, and called Eddie Murphy instead.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/0/8/860108.jpg)
The A-Team
![27 Casting Shake-Ups That Completely Changed Famous TV & Movies](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/2/8/860128.gif)
The Incredible Hulk
![CRACKED.COM Jaws from James Bond was almost the Hulk. Richard Kiel was the first actor to be painted green for the pilot of The Incredible Hulk. Не was replaced by bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno after a few days, as Kiel, big as he was, wasn't bulky enough to make a good Hulk.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/2/1/860121.jpg)
Alien
![CRACKED.COM John Hurt was a late addition to the crew of the Nostromo. British thespian Jon Finch played Kane for a short time while shooting Alien. Then he got suddenly ill (due to his diabetes, not to any chestburster), and Hurt was brought onboard to birth the creature.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/7/860117.jpg)
Predator
![Predator BE THE PREDATOR CRACKED.COM Jean-Claude Van Damme was tapped to play a much sh*ier version of Arnold's alien nemesis. Once on set, he couldn't stand how much costuming and prosthetics were involved, so he left it to Kevin Peter Hall to finish the job.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/2/4/860124.jpg)
Source: 15 Actors Who Had To Be Replaced Mid-Production: First Episode / Last Episode
The Wizard of Oz
![The Wizard x of Oz TIN MAN CRACKED COM Ray Bolger was cast as the Tin Man, but convinced the studio to let him swap with Buddy Ebsen and play the Scarecrow. Ebsen was hospitalized because his makeup was made of corrosive aluminum powder. Jack Haley ultimately made it all the way through production.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/2/2/860122.jpg)
Source: 15 Actors Who Had To Be Replaced Mid-Production: First Episode / Last Episode
Knocked Up
![Knocked Up ALISON CRACKED COM Anne Hathaway backed out when she found out that footage of a real birth would be used for the big birthing scene. Katherine Heigl took on the role (although she was also pretty publicly dissatisfied with it).](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/0/860110.jpg)
Source: 15 Actors Who Had To Be Replaced Mid-Production: First Episode / Last Episode
Batman Returns
![Batman Returns BE CATWOMAN CRACKED.COM Tim Burton originally tapped Annette Bening for the role, but she had to drop the highly physical role when she found out she was pregnant. Michelle Pfeiffer stepped into the iconic role.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/3/860113.jpg)
Source: 15 Actors Who Had To Be Replaced Mid-Production: First Episode / Last Episode
Apocalypse Now
![Apocalypse B Now CAPTAIN WILLARD CRACKED.COM Francis Ford Coppola somewhat reluctantly cast Harvey Keitel, but after a week of filming, said he found it difficult to play him as a passive onlooker. Coppola was then finally able to reel in his first choice, Martin Sheen.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/2/0/860120.jpg)
Source: 15 Actors Who Had To Be Replaced Mid-Production: First Episode / Last Episode
Back to the Future
![CRACKED.COM Marty MCFly just wasn't funny. Back to the Future started production with Eric Stoltz as Marty. But Stoltz' comedic energy was just not there. Michael Fox replaced him after five weeks, and the whole movie was shot again from scratch.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/2/7/860127.jpg)
Batman: The Animated Series
![CRACKED.COM Tim curry would have made a sick Joker. Mark Hamill's Joker is one of the best things about Batman: The Animated Series. But Hamill was brought in as a replacement for Tim Curry. The producers weren't happy with Curry's take on the character (while Curry himself says he just had bronchitis.)](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/6/860116.jpg)
Mortal Kombat
![CRACKED.COM An injury prevented cameron Diaz from being sonya Blade. Diaz started martial arts training for Mortal Kombat as soon as she finished filming The Mask. Alas, testing her might broke her wrist before shooting started. Bridgette Wilson took her place, and we never got to see Princess Fiona kicking Outworld ass.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/0/9/860109.jpg)
Deadwood
![CRACKED.COM Al swearengen was written for Ed O'Neill. Deadwood creator David Milch intended loser Al Bundy to play scary pimp Swearengen. But HBO said no because, well, he was loser Al Bundy. Then lan McShane made Swearengen his own and no one looked back.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/0/7/860107.jpg)
V for Vendetta
![CRACKED.COM That's not always Hugo weaving behind V's mask. A few scenes of V for Vendetta feature James Purefoy, a.k.a. Mark Antony from Rome. At the time, it was reported that he walked away because he hated wearing the mask. Не later claimed that he disagreed about how the character should be played.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/1/1/2/860112.jpg)