These famous actors almost played this role

The Titanic is not the Titanic without Leonardo DiCaprio. The same goes for Ryan Gosling in The Notebook. You can hardly imagine that someone else could have stood in for him. This got me thinking: which actors actually missed out on a popular role? I've lined them up for you.

Reese Witherspoon as Cher in Clueless
It was a close call, but Reese Witherspoon almost got the role of Cher in Clueless. In the end, it went to Alicia Silverstone because the director really ‘felt’ that it had to be Cher. In hindsight, this was a great choice, as no one else can deliver the famous line ‘ugh, as if’ better than Alicia. Years later, Reese did have some luck again by landing the role of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde.

Matthew McConaughey as Jack in Titanic
I know it's hard to imagine, but Leonardo DiCaprio did have competition for the casting of Titanic. Matthew McConaughey was almost certain he would get the role after receiving a big hug from one of the directors. But when Leo came in for the audition, it made the director think: Matthew had more sex appeal while Leonardo had a more romantic vibe, which is why Leo ultimately got the part.

Lily Collins as Jenny in Gossip Girl
Our Lily is of course known as Emily from the series Emily in Paris, but years ago she tried out for the role of Jenny Humphrey in Gossip Girl. In an interview, she even mentioned that it was really her dream, but the role went to her competitor Taylor Momsen. Now I'm secretly glad that Lily missed out on this role, as Jenny didn't exactly resonate with the audience, partly due to her looks which the actress had some influence over.

Dwayne Johnson as Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
When I read this, I had to look twice, but it's really true: The Rock almost got the role of Willy Wonka. In the end, he had to give the role to Johnny Depp because he wasn't a box office name and Johnny was at that time. I must admit that I also think Johnny fits the role better.

Britney Spears as Allie in The Notebook
This would have been truly iconic: Britney Spears as Allie. Britney was in her prime at the time, so I understand why the directors wanted her, but I wonder if the film would have been just as good with Britney. That's why she didn't get the role, which went to the then-unknown Rachel McAdams. By now, we know her as Regina George from the film Mean Girls.

Blake Lively as Karen in Mean Girls
Speaking of Mean Girls, it seems that Blake Lively really wanted the role of Karen. She made it to the final rounds, but in the end, they found Amanda Seyfried to fit the role just a bit better. Blake Lively was certainly not the only one who missed out during the Mean Girls casting, as Ashley Tisdale would have loved to play Gretchen. This shows that even the ‘big names’ sometimes miss out.

Ryan Gosling as the Joker in Suicide Squad
Ryan Gosling playing in Suicide Squad sounds like a dream come true for me, but unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. Ryan actually turned down the role because he was too busy with other films. That can happen, of course. I wonder if his replacement Jared Leto was a good choice. On set, he literally behaved like his character towards his colleagues by giving a dead pig as a gift. The director could have looked a bit further.

Source: buzzfeed.com