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People Break Down Which Actors Were Completely Wrong For The Role

People Break Down Which Actors Were Completely Wrong For The Role
Image by Pexels from Pixabay

After we've watched a movie, it can be difficult to imagine the film as a project that took months or years to finally culminate into the product we see at the theater or on our television.

But it was built and hacked together, piece by piece.



First, it was an idea, then maybe a sketch in a journal, then some dialogue made it to paper. Eventually, it was written, money was raised from a production studio, and a crew was hired.

And of course, actors were cast to portray the role.

Often, we leave the film unable to imagine anybody else playing the characters we just witnessed. What once only existed as a script, stuck in the world of words, has become forever connected to flesh and blood people.

Sometimes, though, those flesh and blood human actors feel so misaligned for the characters they're meant to play that we can conceive of the film before it was acted and shot.

And frankly, we can see where they went wrong.

666Fu**ThEwOrLd666 asked, "What actor/actress was completely 100% wrong for the role?"

Sometimes it comes down to physical or personal essence. Especially when the film adapts source material like a book or well-known story, audiences have a very clear image of characters in their heads.

Upending those images can be a disappointing shock.

Leadership Evaluation

"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.' " -- thecyberbard

"You can't talk about Oliver Stone's Alexander without mentioning that the mad man has 4 different directors cuts of the film" -- Preparation_Asleep

Too Cool 

"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."

-- lucklater

Lean, Yes, All the Others? Not At All

"Why the fu** was Jessie Isenberg cast as Lex Luthor of all fu**ing things"

"All depictions of him are of a tall, bald, and lean businessman"

"No disrespect for the actor, I'd take such a high paying job too, but whoever thought of casting him is a clown"

-- Iperovic

What Could Have Been 

"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?"

-- joshuabeebe

Shrunken Jack 

"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!" -- sandrodi

"Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher. If you've read the book he is the exact physical opposite of the character as written." -- gardengnome15

Other casting decisions verge on the problematic. White people are cast to play non-White characters and figures.

The result feels ethically icky and just plain bewildering.

How Was That Necessary 

"Jon Voight as a snake hunter in Anaconda is fine......but him as a PARAGUAYAN snake hunter?.....just......why lol" -- birdperson_012

"Because he learned his accent from his maid. Who was probably not even from Paraguay."

"Fun movie, but he was ridiculous in it" -- shaft6969

Not the Face I Picture 

"John Wayne as Genghis Khan (The Conqueror). That is just wrong on so many levels, I don't know where to start." -- ceallaig

" 'Hello TARTAR WOMAN. I AM TIMOGEN...pilgrim' " -- Skrivus

Others not only criticized a casting decision as it happened, but proposed their own alternative. These fans had full confidence in their grasp of the character.

Just a Tease 

"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."

-- Larrik

A Clear Alternative 

"Kevin Hart as Roland in the upcoming Borderlands movie. Everyone who knows anything about Borderlands will agree with me."

"Terry Crews should be playing Roland. He's big, has comedic chops, and can play the no-nonsense straight shooter BADA** when everything else is wild."

-- Dekklin

Missed Opportunity 

"The actress who played Jene Grey in the new X-Men movies. She couldn't carry the role at all and it really dulled the Dark Phoenix storyline."

"It's a damn shame because they had Jessica Chastain in the movie and she would have been excellent cast as Grey/Phoenix."

-- mkjones


Unfortunately, we'll be dealing with poor casting decisions like this for as long as movies continue to be made.

The confluence of the big name actors of the day and the films produced in that same moment can tend to stick square pegs into circular holes.

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Things People Secretly Love But Would Never Admit To In Public

Reddit user sweet_chick283 asked: 'What do you secretly love that you would never admit to in public?;

Collection of VHS tapes
Bruno Guerrero/Unsplash

What makes us all unique is our passions and the things we love, whether it's singing in the shower, reading books, or listening to specific music artists.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where we are judged for our various tastes and interests thanks to social media, and it makes us consciously selective about sharing the things we love on the internet.

Curious to hear about people's personal desires under anonymity, Redditor sweet_chick283 asked:

"What do you secretly love that you would never admit to in public?"

These aren't really chores for the following Redditors.

Good Clean Fun

"Mopping, im a janitor and generally hate my work... but damn mopping is so good."

– MrDDog06

"When you have a great rhythm going it is something special. I get the same feeling while I vacuum, but won’t let my wife know I enjoy it."

– Bogus_34

Act Of Unwrinkling

"Ironing clothes. A dozen of them. Can’t explain how it relaxes me. I told one person and they looked at me like I’m crazy."

– eerie_white_glow

"My mum misses the days when dad would be out on a Friday night, my brother out with friends and me upstairs quietly playing PS1. She would pour herself a Bacardi & Coke and do the ironing while watching her TV shows."

"I'm sure she doesn't really miss it now that we've moved out and they've retired but it was her wind-down after a busy working week so I can see how people can find it relaxing."

– xdq

Our solo actions can spark joy.

Big Brother Is Watching

"pretending to be on the Truman show and whenever im in my house i act all inconspicuous so they dont know that i know that they’re watching me."

– Bec_121

"C’mon man, you’re not supposed to let him know. You signed a contract when signing up for live views. I’m reporting you."

– doeswaspsmakehoney

The Multi-Tasker

"Playing video games naked at home while eating cheese."

– thickening_agent

Releasing The Kraken

"I love the feeling when you've eaten good fibre and let out a solid long train log in the toilet. That feeling is heavenly."

– therapoootic

"Even better when it’s a clean wipe and not a poo crayon."

– TheWarmestHugz

Ultimate Comfort

"My (male 41) weekend routine is coming home from work, make hot chocolate, start a fire, dress in a ugly pink nightgown made for old ladies and watch forensic files."

– crazyloomis

Some people are obsessed with collecting things.

So Kawai

"Sanrio stationery stores. All those different multicolor pens, a thousand kinds of erasers, spiral bound notebooks galore... my kids sadly have absolutely no appreciation for this wonderland..."

– HavingNotAttained

It's A Staple

"Office supplies have a weird, special place in my heart ever since I was a kid. They don't even have to be 'cute' necessarily."

"Japan's legendary stationery stores is unironically a reason I want to go."

– _CozyLavender_

Not Caring Anymore

"The older I get the shorter that list gets. Not because I love less things, but because I don't care about hiding it."

– Bi-Beast

"YES!! I'm 53 now. I'm working my first job in public since 2006. Today is Halloween and we're allowed to dress up so I am sitting here waiting to go to work dressed as a VERY bad Wednesday Addams. My bf said I'd 'look stupid' because no one else will probably dress up and I'm like, 'WHO CARES!' My makeup looks horrible and not like I practiced, but I DO NOT CARE! I'm having fun with it anyhow and I don't care if my coworkers dress up or not. I'm bein' ME! :)"

– deanie1970

Honorable mentions start here.

The Savior

"Picking up worms from the street and sidewalks when it rains and moving them into the dirt so they don’t burn in the sun, every time it rains I do this."

– sky_kitten89

Hero Of The Moment

"Yoooo I scoot SO many snails and worms. I work as a tech/mechanic at an automotive shop, I had a peoject car towed to my house the other day and it was covered in snails. I saw them when the tow guy/coworker was unloading and I was like, 'oh! It comes with free snails!' and began moving them. He laughed then realized and said, '... Oh, you're serious. Uh... Okay.'"

"I don't care who knows it. These little things barely can look out for themselves, why shouldn't we if we can take a moment to help? I don't care what happens next, it probably doesn't matter overall but I can help this moment."

– chris14020

Why should some of the hidden desires mentioned above have to be secret?

Redditors opening up about some of these would make them a hit at parties–no shaming.

As a matter of fact, I'll totally be down for a Forensic Files viewing party where we all make hot chocolate, light the fireplace, and cozy up together in our respective pink ugly nightgowns for old ladies.

historical reenactors
Sigmund on Unsplash

We've probably all heard some variation of the saying "Truth is stranger than fiction."

Real life isn't just strange, it can also be downright ridiculous.

History is riddled with moments of absurdity.

So ridiculous that people have a hard time believing real life is, well, really real.

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