Top 10 Hilarious Celebrity Audition Tapes

“Juno” (2007)
Ellen Page definitely brings her own style to acting, and it really shows in this screen test for the independent cult classic “Juno”. Here, we find Ellen Page and Olivia Thirlby auditioning for the roles of Juno and Leah respectively. While Thirlby’s definitely special in her own right, Page’s description of her visit to the doctor’s office is spot-on. Not to mention her nonchalant convo about what to do if she keeps the baby. Adorable and hilarious, the undeniable proof that Page was meant for the role is right on screen.

“Jumanji” (1995)
Fun fact: Kirsten Dunst wasn’t the only future celeb to audition for this 1995 hit movie. A young Scarlett Johansson gave her a run for her money... kind of... well, she turned up, anyway. We don’t know if little Scarlett was just having a bad day, but eyeball rolls and a lack of enthusiasm show she clearly didn’t want to be there. She is a kid though, so maybe her nerves just got to her? Even though she missed her chance to work alongside Robin Williams, she ended up building a career of her own, including fighting bears, aliens, and everything in between.

“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” (2008)
We know Russell Brand is a pro at what he does, but he raises the bar to a new level here. In a completely improvised scene for his audition for 2008’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Brand passive-aggressively argues with his audition partner about wanting to go horseback riding, while she wants to stay at the imaginary hotel and order room service. Staying in character, Brand manages to keep the jokes coming, leaving the crew laughing throughout. In fact, he keeps it up for 4 minutes of solid entertainment! No wonder Brand was the best choice for the role of Aldous, Marshall’s charismatic British rock star bf.

“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (2005-)
Kaitlin Olson had only had minor appearances onscreen before her Always Sunny breakthrough. But here, in what should be a fairly grim scene, with Charlie revealing that he has cancer, Olson’s mannerisms and comedic timing keep us laughing throughout. In a twist, the character was so underdeveloped at that point that the lines she read actually weren’t written for Sweet Dee. In fact the entire scene was not only just between Charlie and Dennis, but it also was already shot. They made the right choice casting her though, and Deandra has since become one of the most liked parts of the popular show.

“Freaks and Geeks” (1999-2000)
Before Seth Rogen started appearing in Judd Apatow movies, he was on one of his early TV shows. As Ken Miller, one of the freaks on Freaks and Geeks, he met other future stars, like James Franco and Jason Segel, who he’d later go on to do other projects with. This deadpan, yet humorous, audition led to him being cast on the show and catching his big break. While he doesn’t appear to be... his usual self... in the tape, he does drop some of his patented stoner comedy.

“Easy A” (2010)
This audition has Emma Stone channeling her inner teen in a webcam confessional. Trying for the part of Olive Penderghast, a well-spoken high school student in the movie Easy A, Stone’s comedic timing and facial expressions make it obvious why she got the part. Her character confesses that rumors about her might be her fault, but that there are always 2 sides to a story. Her performance in this tape net the actress her first starring role in a movie, and all without even leaving her bed!

“Saturday Night Live” (1975- )
In this 8 minute long audition for Saturday Night Live, Jimmy Fallon shows off his best comedic skills, doing jaw-dropping impressions of celebs, including Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and Adam Sandler. After showing the casting directors a few original characters, he takes his guitar to imitate popular musicians of the time. He successfully won over the judges and made his debut on the show in 1998, reprising some of his impressions and musical humor. Love him or hate him, this audition is proof that even pre-SNL Fallon was on top of his game.

“Yogi Bear” (2010)
Well, this certainly is the most... unique... audition on our list. Despite the fact that Yogi Bear and Boo Boo were animated in the film, T.J. Miller decided to do his screen test with an actual, real life bear. To not be scared out of your ranger pants is one thing, but to actually interact with a bear like Miller does, and keep the audition entertaining, takes some serious skill. We already knew he was funny, but anyone willing to bounce some lines off a bear for the sake of comedy deserves all that comes to them.

“The Office” (2005-13)
Bonus laughter for this one! Auditions for The Office attracted a lot of current celebs. Among the unlucky, are Seth Rogen who auditioned for the role of Dwight, and Bob Odenkirk who was a contender for Michael Scott, before Steve Carell agreed to take the role. Other celebs make appearances in these auditions too, like Eric Stonestreet, Kathryn Hahn, and John Cho, but what makes these great is that the camera shots make it feel like you’re watching an actual, albeit weird and under-produced, episode of the show.

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

- Chris Klein
“Mamma Mia!” (2008)

- Lea Michele
“Glee” (2009-15)

“Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” (2004)
Steve Carell’s audition for the part of Brick Tamland provides us with the most laughs. In his scene, Brick mistakenly takes falafel from a garbage can, which he thinks is a food basket. The script is already top notch, but Carell’s take on it makes it even better, leaving the crew in stitches. In fact, he gets so into it that his face ends up a completely different color than when he started. We love Anchorman, but without Carell as our favorite San Diego weatherman, it definitely would have been lacking.