Actor Auditions vs Final Performances | Side-by-Side

Dacre Montgomery

“Stranger Things” (2016-25)

If you ever questioned your morals while falling for bad boy Billy Hargrove, you’re not alone. Dacre Montgomery prepared for the audition in one day. He put on a G-string, got rid of his Aussie accent, and embodied Billy. After introducing himself shirtless, he performed a scene from “Stand By Me”, before cutting to a clip of him dancing – something he figured would show Billy’s unpredictability. In the next scene, Billy’s supposed to be driving with Max. However, Dacre doesn’t even pretend to be in a car. His wild eyes and near-fatal recklessness give us all the hints we need. The actor appears far less intimidating in the tape than Billy does in the final cut. However, the essence of the character was undeniably there.

Cynthia Erivo

“Wicked” (2024)

The songbird won hearts all over the world with her portrayal of Elphaba Thropp in the highly acclaimed movie musical. The life-changing role came to her after a three-hour-long audition, where she was given an actual broom as a prop. One of the numbers she had to perform was none other than “Defying Gravity”. The Grammy-winner nailed the final riff but took it even further in the actual film. Erivo later opened up about the experience on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”, revealing that she was sick by the end of the audition. Needless to say, her efforts paid off.

Hugh Laurie

“House” (2004-12)

When it comes to TV doctors, few are as intriguing as Gregory House. Hugh Laurie’s role as the genius American jerk with questionable morals and a total contempt for bedside manner became so iconic that people thought the Englishman was from the U.S. The show’s executive producer, Bryan Singer, thought so too after watching his self-tape. Laurie filmed it in a hotel bathroom in Namibia, thinking he was reading for a supporting character. The scene he performed in the audition appears in the first episode of the show. To the untrained eye, there’s virtually no difference. The Emmy-nominated actor was completely at one with his character from the get-go, which only proves that no one else could have played Dr. House.

Jason Momoa

“Game of Thrones” (2011-19)

“GoT” is famous for creating fan-favorite characters who live on despite their on-screen deaths. Khal Drogo is definitely on the upper half of that list. When Jason Momoa came in to read for the role, he realized it would be challenging to portray a character with hardly any lines. After all, Drogo is a man of few words. So, he tapped into his connection with Māori culture and performed a powerful haka before the actual audition commenced. Momoa revealed that his dance intimidated the panel at first, but they were ultimately impressed. His magnificence in the tryout grew into an even more fiery intensity in “Game of Thrones”.

Stephanie Hsu

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” (2022)

Who doesn’t love a complex, multifaceted villain? In “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, Stephanie Hsu is both a misunderstood daughter, Joy, and a multiverse-destroying nihilist, Jobu Tupaki. In her audition for the dual role, she tackles the latter, and within moments, it feels like you’re witnessing Jobu in the flesh. Her performance is so natural that you can’t even tell whether she forgot her line or is brilliantly in character. Even before she got the role, Hsu was attuned to the chaotic spirit of Jobu. So, her final performance, grander and darker, still carried traces of her first interpretation.

Natalie Portman

“Léon: The Professional” (1994)

With this movie, a star was born. “Léon” was twelve-year-old Natalie Portman’s debut film, and she floored us. She was even younger when she tried out for the role, and it becomes obvious in the tape itself that she was destined for greatness. She doesn’t just deliver the lines, which would be impressive enough, but adds depth to them that speaks volumes about her talent. In the audition stage, her take on Mathilda is bratty, defiant, and precocious. When she got the role, she delved deeper into the character’s emotional complexity. The final product was rawer, more vulnerable, and more enigmatic, but still innocent. She was a child prodigy if we had ever seen one.

Al Pacino

“The Godfather” Franchise (1972-90)

We can’t imagine a world where Pacino doesn’t play the formidable Michael Corleone. “The Godfather” director Francis Ford Coppola once revealed that the actor was called ‘too scruffy’ and considered short for the role. Coppola made him get a makeover, and suddenly he was too clean-cut. Despite such unreasonable complaints, Pacino auditioned and was crowned the Corleone heir. In the tryout tapes, Al can be seen working on his interpretation of the character with Coppola. However, rather than following instructions simply, he stays true to his instincts. When we finally meet Michael Corleone, he is cold, intimidating, tragic, and inimitable – definitely more layered than Al’s audition, but still carrying the same charm.

Bill Skarsgård

“It” (2017)

Who knew one of the most breathtaking men in Hollywood could play the Dancing Clown so well? If you thought Bill Skarsgård was terrifying with his Pennywise costume on, wait till you see him say the fiend’s lines without it. He went above and beyond for the tryout, enlisting the help of his then-girlfriend for his clown makeup, and impressed producer Seth Grahame-Smith at once. As soon as he cracks that evil grin with those wide eyes in his audition clip, you can’t unsee it. It almost feels like it couldn’t possibly get any more unnerving, but the end result, complete with prosthetics, is downright nightmare fuel.

Henry Thomas

“E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982)

The audition for the role of Elliott Taylor in Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi masterpiece was an arduous process. Countless child actors tried out for the role, one of whom was Henry Thomas. Instead of reading lines off a script, little Henry was asked to improvise, based on a situation where a NASA official had come to take away his best friend, E.T. What followed was a marvelous sequence that could easily be put into the movie as it was. The entire room was in tears, and Spielberg gave him the job on the spot. Although this particular part doesn’t appear in the film, Henry makes the actual government invasion scene even more heartbreaking.

Rachel McAdams

“The Notebook” (2004)

The Canadian actress competed against some of the greatest performers in Hollywood, like Scarlett Johansson, Reese Witherspoon, and Britney Spears, to win her role as Allie. Her audition clip is mesmerizing, to say the least, as she breathes life into the character while reading with Ryan Gosling. Even when the latter is off the screen, their chemistry is palpable. Moreover, Rachel’s microexpressions, pained delivery, and raw sentiments were enough to set her apart. Her Allie already felt lived in at that point. The iconic corresponding scene in the film is even more nuanced, emotionally charged, and urgent. Rachel was born to be Allie.

Which of these actors do you think had the best audition? Share your thoughts in the comments!