Top 10 Actors That Should Have Gotten the Role
#10: Ralph Fiennes as Norman Bates “Psycho” (1998)
Top 10 Ralph Fiennes Performances
In a world of remakes and reboots, there are some classics that should just never be messed with. Most Alfred Hitchcock films generally fall into that category, but that didn’t stop a remake of his horror masterpiece, “Psycho,” from hitting theaters in 1998. Vince Vaughn starred as Norman Bates, the creepy killer at the center of the story. Vaughn is a capable actor, but has an aggressiveness that’s unlike Anthony Perkins’ slyness in the original, and it makes the performance a little obvious. Ralph Fiennes has the ability to come off a bit weaker than Vaughn, and the acting chops to make the character more complex, and thus scarier.
#9: Mark Strong as Lex Luthor “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016)
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When Jesse Eisenberg was cast as Lex Luthor in “Batman v. Superman,” we don’t think anyone expected things to go south as quickly as they did. Eisenberg is a very capable actor, but his choices and mannerisms as the Superman villain felt manic and out of place in the otherwise self-serious film. One critic even said it felt like he was lifting straight from Heath Ledger’s iconic turn as the Joker in “The Dark Knight” – yikes. A better, more interesting choice might have been actor Mark Strong, who has experience playing bad guys in movies, but is usually able to balance the really out-there aspects of his characters with the quieter, more sinister moments.
#8: Rachelle Lefevre as Victoria “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” (2010)
In the “Twilight” universe, Victoria is one of the more out there, fun roles to play. A nomadic vampire, she becomes obsessed with exacting revenge when Edward kills her mate, James, in an epic fight at the end of the first movie. In the first two films, Rachelle Lefevre is a wonderful Victoria – she has the ability to look fierce and vulnerable at the same time, a rare combination. But, apparently due to scheduling conflicts, she was replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard in the franchise’s third film. Bryce Dallas Howard is fine, but she feels like too familiar a face to really disappear into the role. Plus, we were already used to seeing someone else.
#7: Hugh Jackman as the Phantom “Phantom of the Opera” (2004)
2004’s “The Phantom of the Opera” is a bit of a mess - but it’s a fun mess, so we’ll let that slide. However, what we won’t let slide is a real missed opportunity on the casting front. Hugh Jackman, of “Oklahoma!” and “X-Men” fame, was originally cast to play The Phantom, and would have been perfect for the part. He can sing beautifully, but he’s also a little menacing, a combination that the phantom needs. To our great dismay, Jackman had to drop out because of scheduling conflicts with “Van Helsing,” and Gerard Butler got the part instead. Butler did a pretty good job for an actor who hadn’t really sung before, but we missed out on Jackman.
#6: Winona Ryder as Mary Corleone “The Godfather Part III (1990)
Top 10 Best Winona Ryder Performances
“The Godfather Part III” is widely considered the weakest of “The Godfather” movies, and a lot of that comes down to the film’s performances – particularly that of Sofia Coppola, daughter of director Francis Ford Coppola. Most film fans probably mostly know Sofia for her own directing career, which has been wonderful to watch unfold. But let’s just say we’re glad she got into directing, because acting really wasn’t her strong suit. As Michael Corleone’s daughter Mary, she’s too stiff and unemotional. Winona Ryder – who dropped out of the role at the last minute because of “nervous exhaustion” – would have put the part in much more capable hands.
#5: Ian McKellen as Dumbledore “The Harry Potter” franchise (2001-12)
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In the first two Harry Potter movies, the late, great Richard Harris plays the iconic character with the perfect amount of warmth and whimsy. When Harris passed away before the third movie, it was hard to believe anyone could take his place. Michael Gambon took on the role for the franchise’s last films, and while he nails some of the darker parts of Dumbledore, he really misses that necessary warmth. We think Ian McKellen – who reportedly turned down the role after Harris died because he thought Harris wouldn’t have approved of the choice – would have been able to nail the perfect balance of light and darkness. After all, he’d already done so with another famous wizard.
#4: Charlie Hunnam as Christian Grey “50 Shades of Grey” (2015)
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Before the release of “50 Shades of Grey” in 2015, actor Jamie Dornan was known primarily for his role as a serial killer in the drama series “The Fall.” Dornan was really good at playing a serial killer, and brought some of that creepiness – mayhaps, a bit too much – over to his role as Christian Grey, an enigmatic billionaire with a proclivity for BDSM. Before Dornan, the role originally went to Charlie Hunnam. Hunnam was excited for the role and said he and co-star Dakota Johnson had great chemistry. However, fans weren’t that excited, and Hunnam eventually dropped out due to scheduling issues. We would have loved to see Hunnam play Grey, hopefully with a little less menace.
#3: Q’orianka Kilcher as Tiger Lily “Pan” (2015)
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Many directors have taken on the Peter Pan story over the years, and in 2015, director Joe Wright decided it was his turn. However, he put his foot in things when he cast white actress Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily, the Native American girl who is friends with Peter Pan’s Lost Boys. Fans and moviegoers were so outraged about the casting that a petition circulated asking for Mara to drop out. Unfortunately, the film proceeded as cast. If we had our say, the role of Tiger Lily would have gone to Q’orianka Kilcher, a Native actress with the skill and action chops to pull off the role.
#2: Janel Parrish as Allison Ng “Aloha” (2015)
In another 2015 case of whitewashing, Emma Stone was cast in the movie “Aloha” as Allison Ng, a character who is supposed to be one quarter Chinese and one quarter Hawaiian descent. Emma Stone was an out of left field choice for this character, and a choice that left many movie fans feeling confused and frustrated. A better choice for the role would have been Janel Parrish, an actress who was raised in Hawaii and is of Chinese descent. Parrish would have been able to bring a real authenticity to the role, and an authenticity that the movie desperately needed.
#1: Rinko Kikuchi as Motoko “Ghost in the Shell” (2017)
And of course, our number one spot involves yet another case of whitewashing. “Ghost in the Shell” is a popular Japanese manga series led by a strong female protagonist. An American-produced version of the film had been in the works since 2008, but the movie didn’t come out until 2017, starring Scarlett Johansson in the lead role. This of course brought forth a slew of controversy, with fans wondering why a Japanese actress wasn’t cast in the lead role. A perfect choice would have been Rinko Kikuchi, a Japanese actress who had already proved her chops in movies like “Babel” and “Pacific Rim.” She would have been great, and this could have made her an action star.
