12 Actors Who Almost Missed Out On The Role They Wanted Because They’re “Too Handsome” Or The Opposite

The life full of luxuries led by some actors has certainly made us think on more than one occasion that, for them, everything was easy. But, from time to time, even celebrities share stories showing that they also had their obstacles, especially at the beginning of their careers. One thing, however, we cannot deny: several stars overcame adversities, transforming them into interesting stories to tell.

In this article you are about to read, the awesome.club tells cases of actors whose appearance ended up being seen as an obstacle when it came to getting a role.

Keira Knightley’s participation in the movie Pride and Prejudice left many people delighted, but a director wasn’t sure if she was the best fit for the role. In an interview, the actress revealed that Joe Wright was undecided because he found her too beautiful. “Afterwards we met, and he said: ‘Oh, no, you’re ok!’”, said the famous, between laughs.

Andrew Garfield lived the happiness of being among the most quoted to live the character of Prince Caspian in the films of the saga The Chronicles of Narnia. But his excitement didn’t last long: he soon knew that he wouldn’t take the job because he “wasn’t pretty enough.”

The opposite happened with Hugh Grant, who was almost left out of the film Four Weddings and a Funeral because the screenwriter, Richard Curtis, did not want him as the protagonist of the feature because he found him too attractive to be Charles. Luckily, the actor ended up getting the role thanks to his sheer talent.

Nowadays, it is even strange to think that someone was able to deny Henry Cavill a role, but the beginning of the actor’s career was not easy. When he was 21, he auditioned for a film in the 007 saga, but the director, in addition to denying the job, suggested that Cavill strive to get in shape if he wanted the chance to win a role as the super agent.

For Meryl Streep, trying to get cast in the movie King Kong turned out to be a less than pleasant moment. The actress said in an interview that the director spoke about her, in Italian: “What an ugly woman”. He just didn’t expect Meryl to have understood that rude phrase perfectly. And she replied, “I’m sorry I’m not pretty enough to be in King Kong.”

The creator of Harry Potter herself admitted that the trio of protagonists was not the most suitable option to give life to Hermione, Harry and Ron. J. K. Rowling stated that the actors were “too cute”, contrary to what she had imagined: nerdy and unattractive.

In the series The Fall, Jamie Dornan ended up attracting all the attention, because, as reported by his co-star Gillian Anderson, “the initial intention was not to hire someone so beautiful. But it was clear that he was the best fit for the job.”

The film that raised her to fame was Winter of the Soul, but initially the actress was rejected for the role for being “too beautiful”. Despite this, she decided to give herself a second chance by submitting herself to the tests again. Only, this time, she went without doing her hair or makeup, which allowed the producers to see more of her talent than her physique.

One of the films that sparked the interest of actress Scarlett Johansson was Millennium: The Men Who Didn’t Love Women. However, the director himself, David Fincher, admitted that, although “Scarlett was incredible and did a fantastic test”, he found the actress “too sexy”, and that was not what he was looking for in the film.

Before her breakthrough as the star of Beverly Hills Babies, Alicia auditioned for the lead role in the drama series My So-Called Life. And even with one of the creators of the production wanting to say an immediate “yes” to the actress, Herskovitz, who was the co-producer, said no.

Apparently Alicia’s look didn’t fit the unkempt teenage character she would play: “Alicia is so beautiful that it would have affected her experience of the world. She has heard people praising her beauty since she was 6,” Herskovitz said.

It took Jon Hamm nearly ten years to land the role that brought him the fame he currently enjoys. And the reason for its belated success is none other than its looks. Apparently, he was always seen as too handsome a man to play a major role.

Matt Weiner, creator of the Mad Men series, explained that this also made him hesitate when giving the job to Hamm, because “in 2006 there were no handsome men as protagonists. It wasn’t the fashion.”

Winona Ryder’s early career has many ups and downs. The actress herself revealed that, in the middle of a test, the casting director interrupted her saying: “Listen, girl, you shouldn’t be an actress. Not pretty enough. You better go back where you came from and go to school.”

Even though Winona was between 15 and 16 at the time, she took the woman’s words with great maturity, continuing to fight for her dreams until she became the established actress she is today.

Although several actors took the situations narrated above in stride, they were certainly very uncomfortable. How do you think you would react if someone turned you down a job opportunity because of your appearance? Comment!