Top 10 Actors Who Earned Acting Roles by Lying
Some actors will do anything to get a role in a big movie, and these actors may have stretched the truth a little bit too far! WatchMojo presents the Top 10 Actors Who Lied to Get Big Roles! But who will take the top spot on our list? Chloë Grace Moretz for her role in 'Hugo', 'George Lazenby' to get the role of James Bond in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', or Mila Kunis to get her breakout role in 'That '70s Show'? Watch to find out!
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#10: Sandra Bullock “Love Potion No. 9” (1992)
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In Hollywood, age matters. Sandra Bullock understood this back in the ‘90s when auditioning for the lead role of Diane Farrow in “Love Potion No. 9”. Casting directors for the film were looking for a woman at the tail end of her twenties, which led Bullock to lie about her age; telling them she was 29 when she was actually 26 at the time. While it isn’t a huge difference in age, in this case, it very likely meant the difference between getting the part or not, as she ended up landing the role – after all, it was her first time playing the female lead in a film to receive a wide theatrical release.
#9: Daniel Craig “Cowboys & Aliens” (2011)
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Even James Bond isn’t above lying to find work. In fact, Daniel Craig fibbed his way into the role of amnesiac Jake Lonergan in “Cowboys & Aliens” - which was long after he’d established himself as a successful actor. Craig didn’t lie about his age though. Rather, it was in regards to a particular skillset. Apparently, in an attempt to make himself eligible for a greater variety of roles, Craig has allegedly claimed to be an experienced horseback rider in the past; in reality, he didn’t know how to ride horses. As you can tell from the title of the film, Craig had to make his lie come true after he accepted the role.
#8: Laurence Fishburne “Apocalypse Now” (1979)
Who wouldn’t lie to star in a Francis Ford Coppola film in the ‘70s? Well, Laurence Fishburne did exactly that when he auditioned for the role of Tyrone Miller, aka Mr. Clean, in “Apocalypse Now”. At the time of casting, Fishburne was 14, aiming to land the 17 year old character. He boldly lied about his age, claiming to be 16, and got the gig. However, Fishburne claims that Coppola saw through the lie and just cast him anyways. Interestingly, the film’s production took so long that Fishburne was actually 17 by the time the film was completed.
#7: Liam Hemsworth “The Last Song” (2010)
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Similar to Daniel Craig, the youngest Hemsworth presented himself as more capable than he actually was to get a gig. Before playing Gale Hawthorne in the “Hunger Games” franchise, Liam landed the role of Will Blakelee in the adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ “The Last Song”, a role that required him to play volleyball. Hemsworth claimed to have experience in the sport. However, that lie was quickly outed when it came time for his character’s tournament scene. The actor’s lack of skill was so obvious that the director allegedly had to ask the opposing extras to dial back their skill.
#6: Carla Gugino “Troop Beverly Hills” (1989)
Lying about your age seems like common practice in Hollywood, but was likely a lot easier to get away with before the days of Wikipedia and IMDb. Carla Gugino is another famous example. Though only 16 at the time, it seems that Gugino got word that she was already too old for a role she was chasing - that of Chica Barnfell in the film “Troop Beverly Hills”. So she took matters into her own hands, and landed the part by claiming she was 14 years old. When the film was further into production, Gugino admitted her lie and discovered that, as she suspected, the director would not have cast her had he known the truth.
#5: Rachel McAdams “To the Wonder” (2012)
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Rachel McAdams is a well-respected actress, but the lie she used to land the role of Jane in the film “To the Wonder” might make you respect her even more. The character McAdams plays is a rancher so, naturally, she needed to be around horses throughout the film. What production, including the director, didn’t know is McAdams is not only allergic to horses, but also deeply afraid of them. She reportedly went so far as to tell director Terrence Malick that she loved horses to help her chances, and in the end no one was the wiser. That’s one way to face your fears!
#4: Robert Pattinson “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (2005)
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In his early days of acting, Robert Pattinson found it tough to land roles. So, he resorted to the tactic that many use when looking for a job... he took creative liberties with certain aspects of his resume. Pattinson lied about his acting experience as well as his educational background, saying he studied at Oxford University as well as the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Some argue that these fabrications were the reason he was cast in the Harry Potter films as Cedric Diggory. But after he began landing more high-profile roles, he stopped lying about his past experience.
#3: Chloë Grace Moretz “Hugo” (2011)
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When director Martin Scorsese was casting for his film “Hugo”, he was specifically looking for a British actor to play the role of Isabelle. This apparently was not enough to deter American actress Chloë Grace Moretz however, who managed to successfully lie about her nationality and create a convincing British accent during her auditions with Scorsese. At the end of her audition, Moretz dropped her accent, revealing her true nationality, and admitted her lie to Scorsese. It seems Scorsese was impressed with her acting ability as she ended up landing the part.
#2: Mila Kunis “That ‘70s Show” (1998-2006)
Mila Kunis is another example of a minor lying about their age to land a role that ultimately put them on the map. When auditioning for “That ‘70s Show”, Kunis was just 14 years old. For the part however, she had to be eighteen or over. When asked about her age, she told the casting directors that she was going to turn eighteen on her birthday. She cleverly didn’t mention which particular birthday, and directors assumed she was referencing her upcoming one; which, in reality, was her fifteenth. This inspired and carefully-crafted sentence allowed her to get her foot in the door - and that door led to major television success. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. - Anne Hathaway Lied About Her Horseback Riding Skill “Brokeback Mountain” (2005) - Laura Fraser Lied About Her Ability to Speak German “Breaking Bad” (2008-13)
#1: George Lazenby “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969)
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It’s hard to lie your way to become one of the most iconic characters in film history. Not to mention, having to follow arguably the most well-known and loved Bond, Sean Connery. However, George Lazenby managed to land the role and without any acting experience to boot! The Australian was so determined to nab the role of Bond that he purchased a suit Connery had ordered but not worn and a Rolex watch. After barging into the audition and lying to the casting directors about his abilities, he eventually admitted his lie to the director. Instead of kicking Lazenby out, the director was so impressed that he gave him the role – a decision that was cemented when Lazenby inadvertently punched a wrestler-turned-stunt coordinator during his audition.
