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.

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Teacher standing in front of a classroom
Photo by Taylor Flowe on Unsplash

It's a teacher's job to leave a lasting impression and set a good example for their students.

With this in mind, particularly in this age of viral videos and social media, teachers have to be very careful of what they say during class hours.

Even so, there are very few teachers who haven't said something they've regretted when teaching a class.

Sometimes to control unruly students, other times when they've simply had enough.

Then too, sometimes teachers leave their students baffled and perplexed by what they say in their classroom, well aware of what they were saying.

Always making for a memorable story.

Keep reading...Show less
woman in white crew neck t-shirt sitting on gray sofa
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

As a kid, I never raised alarm bells even when I started to feel sick. My mom got stressed easily and was busy taking care of my younger brother, so I never wanted to be a burden by making her take me to the doctor only to find out nothing was wrong.

However, in fifth grade, my ears started to hurt and I knew something was wrong. I told my mom, she took me to the doctor, and I found out I had an ear infection.

Now, an ear infection isn't serious at all, and it was easily treatable. Still, I learned something from that experience: no one knows your body better than you. You know if and when you're sick and how serious it is, even if you don't now exactly what is wrong.

Redditors can corroborate this. Many of them have experienced symptoms that told them they were sick in some way -- usually with a very serious illness -- and are ready to share those experiences.

Keep reading...Show less
A couple holds hands on a date, candlelit table and two glasses of red wine
Photo by René Ranisch on Unsplash

When in the beginning stages of dating, it's important to know as much as humanly possible.

The element of surprise is no longer a fun aspect of romance.

Ask the small questions. Ask the hard questions.

Interrogate. Grill. Investigate.

Of course, you should do it with a subtle hand instead of an interrogation lamp.

The truth is all we have.

Ask everything.

Keep reading...Show less
Woman letting go of boyfriend's hand
Photo by Everton Vila on Unsplash

As much as we always hop for our dating efforts to be worth it and for every relationship to work out, we all know that some relationships are not destined to work out.

But sometimes relationships end for totally valid reasons, and sometimes the reasons are painful, if not devastating.

Keep reading...Show less