Sometimes the casting for the role is so good, it’s hard to imagine someone else playing it. In other cases, the wrong actor choice just puts the audience out of the story, especially when actors playing a couple have no chemistry.
One person asked the AskReddit forum “What actor/actress was completely 100% wrong for the role?” And over 32K other users chimed in. Some actors gave these people unfitting to the character vibes, some were too far off the described look in the books, some were a different race than their character. Bored Panda has selected the best answers. Share in the comments if you agree.
More info: Reddit
#1
Mr. Ed. The role required a horse that could talk. The horse they hired couldn’t talk so they had to dub all his lines
Image source: FatuousOocephalus, MGM Television
#2
Any movie that takes place in high school, but all the actors are in their 20s or 30s.
Image source: symphonicrox, Warner Bros. Television Distribution
#3
Colin Farrell as Alexander The Great. As one of my old University professors once said, “I wouldn’t follow that guy to the end of my DRIVEWAY”.
Image source: thecyberbard, Intermedia Films
#4
Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher. If you’ve read the book he is the exact physical opposite of the character as written.
Image source: gardengnome15, Paramount Pictures
#5
Kristen Stewart as Snow White in Snow White and the Hunstman. Terrible.
Image source: exploding_shadows, Universal Pictures
#6
Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor.
Image source: DonnieJuniorsEmails, Warner Bros. Pictures
#7
Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffanys — straight up plays an Asian man in the most racist performance you’ve ever seen
Image source: shootermcgavin125, Paramount Pictures
#8
Cats.
Image source: i_f#&kin_luv_it_mate, Universal Pictures
#9
Steven Seagal as a person who can kick ass.
Image source: tmadik, Lionsgate
#10
Jared Leto as the joker
Image source: Betabutter, Warner Bros. Pictures
#11
Two that come to mind but weren’t cast were in Lord of the Rings. Sean Connery was offered the role of Gandalf but turned it down because he couldn’t understand the script. Could you imagine how bad of a casting decision that would have been now that we’ve seen Sir Ian McKellen in the role? Or Nicolas Cage as Aragorn?
Image source: joshuabeebe, Reddit
#12
Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher. Reacher’s supposed to be 6+ feet tall, 240+ pounds, basically a brick sh^#house of a man. And someone pulling the strings said yeah, that totally sounds like Tom Cruise to me!
Image source: sandrodi, Paramount Pictures
#13
Schwarzenegger in Twins. He looks nothing like Danny De Vito…
Image source: sebadc, Universal Studios
#14
Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker in Dracula (1992). He’s charming and pretty, but he shouldn’t have been in this cast against such titans as Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins. And the English accent was atrocious. In over his head. It’s like Jennifer Lopez trying to sing a Céline Dion song.
Image source: SatynMalanaphy, Columbia Pictures
#15
Did you guys forgot Ben Afflek in Daredevil?
Image source: Rais93, 20th Century Studios
#16
Shia Leboeuf in Crystal Skull. That part should’ve been Short Round as an adult.
Image source: darkdent, Paramount Pictures
#17
Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson in the 50 Shades trilogy
Aside from the movies being absolutely sh&^$y, the two had no chemistry with each other and it was awkward as hell to watch. More so when I found out that Jamie was married while filming those movies. The movies shouldn’t have even been made.
#18
Emma Watson as Belle in beauty and the beast. I actually thought she was the perfect choice before I saw it. But belles main qualities are supposed to be her warmth and kindness, and it felt like Emma was genuinely judging all the people living in her town. She’s a good hermione though
Image source: allisonofgreengables, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
#19
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but Sophie Turner as Jean Gray.
I like her as an actress, but I just couldn’t get into it. I felt like she struggled with hiding her accent.
Image source: mmacaluso915, 20th Century Fox
#20
Whoever the dude was in 50 shades. Christian Bale would have crushed that role
Image source: willsbma, Universal Pictures
#21
I have no issues with Pierce Brosnan. Made a fine bond even though his scripts weren’t strong. Can do comedy even.
But singing in Mamma Mia? How was that ever allowed to happen?
Image source: 249ba36000029bbe9749, Universal Studios
#22
Is it now the time to talk about Topher Grace as Eddie Brock/Venom?
Image source: tohones82, Sony Pictures Releasing
#23
everyone in the last airbender movie, especially considering the fact that they took the waterbenders (canonically the nation with the darkest skin coloring) and made all of them white, then made the firebenders dark-skinned.
Image source: tonytonix, ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks
#24
Has anyone said Emelia Clarke as Sarah Connor yet? Also Jai Courtney as Kyle Reese. Actually the whole movie sans Arnold was cast fu$^king horribly.
Image source: HelloTosh, Paramount Pictures
#25
Just wanted to say for anyone doubting future casting, look at Robert Downey Jr as Ironman. When that was announced so many fans were up in arms and now he IS Ironman…
Image source: Helfire7, Paramount Pictures
#26
Ginny Weasley… that actress just never grew into that role. I know it’s hard to cast kids that young, but man they should have replaced her for the last few movies, it was harsh seeing Harry have more actual chemistry with a Muggle coffee shop girl (who was amazing) than the supposed love of his life (who was nothing like fiery character in books).
Image source: justaguy394
#27
Cameron Diaz in Gangs of New York. It’s the only time I’ve really be pulled out of a movie because the casting didn’t seem right.
Image source: akchemy, Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
#28
John Malkovich in Being John Malkovich. It just seemed a bit too on the nose.
Image source: matzobrei, USA Films
#29
John Dorian as Dr. Acula. He is way to hammy, and not very threatening for a vampire who is behind loads of mysterious deaths in the hospital. He clearly only got the part because he wrote the darn script for it. It was also a very racist filming process where multiple times Chris Turk was told to “act blacker”. In good conscience I can’t support the film
Image source: this_is_poorly_done
#30
Johnny Depp as Grindelwald. Not because of the whole situation around it, but after reading the books and the cameos in Potter, I just don’t see him as Grindelwald, just as albino Depp.
Image source: -itra, Warner Bros. Pictures
#31
Cameron Diaz was horrible in the 2014 Annie remake. She hasn’t made a movie since.
Image source: ShadyIce, Tribune Content Agency, LLC
#32
John Wayne as a Native American or Anthony Hopkins as a black man come to mind.
Image source: Jedi4Hire
#33
Jon Voight as a snake hunter in Anaconda is fine……but him as a PARAGUAYAN snake hunter?…..just……why lol
Image source: birdperson_012, Mark Mathosian
#34
Pretty much everyone from the Percy Jackson movies
Image source: ferrafox, 20th Century Fox
#35
Jafar in the new Aladdin. He wasn’t believable or menacing and way too young. Plus for much of his screen time he’s standing next to Navid Neghaban, who would have been a MUCH better choice.
Image source: Larrik
#36
Nicole Kidman is cast as Lucy in Aaron Sorkin’s Lucille Ball movie. She can’t move her face anymore. And I like Nicole Kidman, she’s done some great stuff lately but this doesn’t make sense.
Image source: theorgangrindr
#37
Every actress cast as Sue Richards, The Invisible Woman, from the Fantastic Four so far
Image source: JustFlanders, 20th Century Fox
#38
Dane DeHaan – Valerian
That move is pretty awesome except for him, it felt entirely miscast and I couldn’t believe this guy was the kind of character they were making him out to be.
Image source: Nonsenseinabag, EuropaCorp Distribution
#39
Joel McHale as Roy in the ill-fated US remake of The IT Crowd.
We want a scruffy and misanthropic IT nerd, so let’s get an actor known foorrr… charisma and confidence? OK.
Image source: lucklater, Joel McHale
#40
Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone
Image source: sabelotodo9, Image Entertainment
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