Top 10 Celebrity Audition Tapes You Need to See

In what would go on to become her breakout role, Canadian actress Ellen Page plays Juno, a young girl who finds herself pregnant and isn’t exactly sure what to do about it. The film deals with serious subject matter with a lot of dark humor and attitude, so nailing the main character’s quirky personality was tantamount for whichever actress got the job. In this early screen test, Page proves herself worthy of the job, displaying an almost shocking nonchalance with an undercurrent of deep emotion. We can’t imagine anyone else having played this role!

Most of the actors and actresses on this list are here because their impressive screen test earned them the role they were after, but this is one example where the audition didn’t immediately lead to a part. Robert De Niro initially tried out for the role of Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather”, but, despite having turned in this excellent bit of acting, it was ultimately given to James Caan. The producers and casting director must have nonetheless found his performance to be a memorable one though, because they gave him the role of Vito Corleone in “The Godfather Part II,” for which he earned an Oscar.

Emma Stone is now the proud owner of a Best Actress Oscar, but back when “Easy A” was being made, she was still a relative unknown. The role would end up being her breakthrough into the Hollywood A list, and she got it by agreeing to film a webcam screen test for the casting directors. If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll know that the confessional style is used in the film, so it only made sense for Stone to prove that she was right for the character of Olive Penderghast by making a confessional of her own, while in character. Suffice it to say… she nailed it.

Steven Spielberg's epic sci-fi fantasy film required a cast of talented child actors to achieve the greatness that it did, and while there are many excellent performances in the film, they’re all outshone by Henry Thomas. The character of Elliot is central to the story, and Spielberg reportedly had to audition hundreds of children before finding the one. The scene we have here was totally improvised, and Thomas, at only 9 years old delivers such a heartbreaking performance that at the very end of the tape, you can hear the director say “okay kid you got the job!” Boy, did he ever earn it!

He may now be a household name, but before his stint on “The Office”, funnyman Steve Carell was relatively unknown. Brick Tamland is one of the odder characters to appear on screen, even by the standards of Will Ferrell comedies, and it would have taken just the first person to pull off the bizarre performance. In his audition where he acts alongside lead Will Ferrell, Carell gets progressively redder and more manic looking as the scene goes on. In the end, it becomes clear that he was born to play the part, and sure enough, over a decade later, it’s impossible to imagine anyone else having pulled it off.

For what was to become one of the most iconic romantic movies of our age, finding two actors with tangible chemistry was essential. Ryan Gosling was cast first as Noah, but finding the right Allie proved to be more difficult. As soon as Rachel McAdams read for the part though, it was obvious that her passion and vulnerability made her perfect for the role. Of the casting process and testing with McAdams, Gosling went so far as to say: “I think that it's pretty fair to say that we probably wouldn't have made the film if we hadn't found Rachel.”

When it came time to craft the next chapter of the “Star Wars” series, no detail went unattended, and casting a young actress to play the leading role was one of the most important decisions to be made. They knew they needed to find a fresh face for this new venture, and J.J. Abrams was blown away as soon as English actress Daisy Ridley showed up for her audition. They tested her with what is perhaps her most intense scene in the film, and the emotional range and talent of the actress show becomes almost immediately evident.

Adapting the novel "Push" by Sapphire into a film was bound to be difficult based on its hard to tackle subject matter. More than anything though, the film had to be carried by a young actress with the talent to deliver a performance that could carry an entire film. Casting director Billy Hopkins conducted an open call at New York City's Lehman College and among all the applicants found Gabourey Sidibe, whose emotional test screening proves just how perfect she is for the role. You probably won’t believe it, but before this Sidibe actually had no acting experience to speak of.

We apologize for the fact that, unlike the final version of the film, this clip doesn’t have any English subtitles. That’s part of what makes this audition so remarkable though. Even to viewers who can’t understand what she’s saying, it’s clear that French actress Audrey Tautou is totally nailing it. Like other films on our list, this was a movie that truly depended on its lead actor’s performance, and in this case, that meant finding an actress who could embody the quirks and whimsy of such a unique character. Tautou’s approach to the scene was a perfectly balanced dose of curiosity, magic and charm - a perfect mix of what makes Amélie so special.



Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:



Natalie Portman

“Léon: The Professional” (1994)



Matthew McConaughey

“Dazed and Confused”(1993)



The Cast of “Stranger Things”

“Stranger Things” (2016-)

While actor and comedian Jim Carrey was already well known by the late ‘90s thanks to his roles in funny family films like “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” and “Dumb and Dumber”, this role required a bit more gravitas - despite it being for a film about a comedian. “Man on the Moon” is a biographic piece on entertainer Andy Kaufman, who was known for his bizarre persona and challenging brand of meta comedy. Carrey had already proved his acting chops, but this over the top audition tape proved that there was simply no one else who capable of bringing Kauffman back to life with the same accuracy and passion as Carrey.