We don't always know who or what we want until it's on screen in front of us delivering lines! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for Another Top 10 Surprisingly Good Casting Choices in Movies.
For this list, we're looking at actors who were cast in films against popular opinion, but who won over critics and haters alike! If you think we've missed something, be sure to check out our first video on the subject.
#10: Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001)
If the only requirement for playing the heroic hobbit of this franchise was that they be small in stature, you'd think a lot of actors would have fit the bill. But it was the relatively unknown Elijah Wood who ultimately got the role. Like Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, Elijah Wood put on an accent throughout shooting. In the end, Wood brought Frodo Baggins to life expertly throughout all 3 Lord of the Rings films, capturing the hobbit's journey expertly and gracefully! The success of the franchise made Wood a household name overnight, but strangely, Wood has never again had the same onscreen blockbuster success, often going the more indie route.
#9: Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle / Catwoman
“The Dark Knight Rises” (2012)
Selina Kyle is sleek, sexy, formidable and playful. Anne Hathaway is… well, not the first actress to come to mind when you list those characteristics. At least, that's what most people thought, but as was the case with Heath Ledger before her, the casting department of this franchise knew something that we didn't. Hathaway had made a name for herself playing the geeky girl next door in movies like “The Princess Diaries”, but she surprised us all when she showed us that she could be dangerous. Our apologies to Anne Hathaway, as she has since gone on to consistently surprise us with her ability to play drastically different characters.
#8: Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord
“Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)
Burt Macklin, Marvel superhero! Yeah, doesn't have a great ring to it. Goofy everyman Chris Pratt was never pegged as superhero material. If you wanted someone to have a small role in your sitcom and occasionally tell a goofy joke, he was your guy. Maybe it was his shockingly good turn as a tier-one Navy SEAL in “Zero Dark Thirty”, but someone somewhere decided that he was perfect to play Star-Lord! And they were right! Pratt, alongside his band of goofy renegades, made “Guardians of the Galaxy” the funny, awesome, smash-hit that it was.
#7: Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank
“The Truman Show” (1998)
Ol' rubberface in an emotionally penetrating tale of personal identity in the face of modern media… aaaaaaalrighty then! In 1994, Jim Carrey was in three movies: “The Mask,” “Dumb and Dumber,” and “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.” Yeah, all in the same year! Basically, before '95, he had cemented himself as the goofiest comedy actor of the decade. “The Truman Show” was Jim Carrey like we'd never seen him before, and he played the character with an emotional nuance and naiveté that was thought impossible from an actor who in one role, literally, talked out of his rear end.
#6: Robin Williams as John Keating
“Dead Poets Society” (1989)
Already a veritable comedy legend thanks to his film and TV roles, Robin Williams played very much against character to take on the role of John Keating. In this film, the professor inspires his students to break out of their molds and become something unique and extraordinary. Speaking of unique and extraordinary, Williams captured the character with a majesty and delight that made him practically leap off the screen to inspire us all to stand on our own desks. Robin Williams would surprise us with roles again and again, eventually leading to his Oscar win in “Good Will Hunting.”
#5: Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800 'Model 101'
“The Terminator” (1984)
When director James Cameron conceived the world of the Terminator, the idea was that the machines were infiltration units, designed to go behind enemy lines and blend in with humans. So, an Austrian bodybuilder didn't exactly fit the bill at the time. Cameron felt the same way too, and his original plan was to pick a fight with Schwarzenegger so the studio wouldn't force them to work together. Instead, he couldn't help but become lifelong friends with the future Governor, and Schwarzenegger played the steely machine with a rugged coolness that only he could pull off.
#4: Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen
“The Hunger Games” (2012)
Fans of The Hunger Games novels were more than a little peeved when it was announced that Jennifer Lawrence would be bringing the books' heroine to life. The novels describe Katniss Everdeen as olive-skinned and dark haired, and although her race is never mentioned, many pointed to Lawrence's pale skin and blonde hair as a clear example of whitewashing. Like the subjects of the Panem though, Lawrence won over her audiences as she utilized her acting talent to bring the brave teenager to life with subtlety and poise. The film and its three sequels were massively successful, in no small part thanks to Lawrence's portrayal of the lead character.
#3: Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow
“Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” (2003)
Fans of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise may be surprised to learn that Johnny Depp was not always considered the perfect choice to play the film's roguish supporting hero. In fact, the screenwriter originally penned the script with Hugh Jackman in mind, and Robert De Niro was offered the role. While Hugh Jackman would later get a shot at playing a pirate in “Pan”, Depp ultimately claimed this Captain's role, making it his own by drawing inspiration from rock star Keith Richards to bring the now iconic pirate to life. Not only was Depp's performance memorable and amazing, but it also was wholesomely unique in a way that no other actor could have delivered.
#2: Harrison Ford as Han Solo
“Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” (1977)
Imagine: it's 1975, you're casting a new little movie called Star Wars, and you say you want Harrison Ford to play a character, and everyone says… “who?” Granted, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher were also unknowns at the time, but considering Kurt Russell and Al Pacino were strongly considered for the role, and both of them were big names at the time, casting a relative unknown was a pretty risky maneuver. It paid off big though, and launched Harrison Ford into his status as an icon.
Before we reveal our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Colin Firth as Harry Hart
“Kingsman: The Secret Service” (2014)
John Travolta as Vincent Vega
“Pulp Fiction” (1994)
Kelsey Grammer as Beast
“X-Men: The Last Stand” (2006)
Adam Driver as Kylo Ren
“Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens” (2015)
Leonardo DiCaprio as Arnie Grape
“What's Eating Gilbert Grape” (1993)
#1: Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man
“Iron Man” (2008)
For you nineties babies out there, you may not believe us, but there was a time when RDJ couldn't get an acting job to save his life. After substance abuse tore his life apart, and a small stint in jail, the producer of 2003's “Gothika” refused to give Robert Downey Jr. his whole paycheck until the filming was complete. When it came to casting Tony Stark, Jon Favreau was insistent that Downey was the best choice – not only was he perfect for the character, but he would also elevate the film. Favreau was right, and RDJ's performance paved the way for one of the most successful film franchises of all time.
read more...
For this list, we're looking at actors who were cast in films against popular opinion, but who won over critics and haters alike! If you think we've missed something, be sure to check out our first video on the subject.
#10: Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001)
If the only requirement for playing the heroic hobbit of this franchise was that they be small in stature, you'd think a lot of actors would have fit the bill. But it was the relatively unknown Elijah Wood who ultimately got the role. Like Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, Elijah Wood put on an accent throughout shooting. In the end, Wood brought Frodo Baggins to life expertly throughout all 3 Lord of the Rings films, capturing the hobbit's journey expertly and gracefully! The success of the franchise made Wood a household name overnight, but strangely, Wood has never again had the same onscreen blockbuster success, often going the more indie route.
#9: Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle / Catwoman
“The Dark Knight Rises” (2012)
Selina Kyle is sleek, sexy, formidable and playful. Anne Hathaway is… well, not the first actress to come to mind when you list those characteristics. At least, that's what most people thought, but as was the case with Heath Ledger before her, the casting department of this franchise knew something that we didn't. Hathaway had made a name for herself playing the geeky girl next door in movies like “The Princess Diaries”, but she surprised us all when she showed us that she could be dangerous. Our apologies to Anne Hathaway, as she has since gone on to consistently surprise us with her ability to play drastically different characters.
#8: Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord
“Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)
Burt Macklin, Marvel superhero! Yeah, doesn't have a great ring to it. Goofy everyman Chris Pratt was never pegged as superhero material. If you wanted someone to have a small role in your sitcom and occasionally tell a goofy joke, he was your guy. Maybe it was his shockingly good turn as a tier-one Navy SEAL in “Zero Dark Thirty”, but someone somewhere decided that he was perfect to play Star-Lord! And they were right! Pratt, alongside his band of goofy renegades, made “Guardians of the Galaxy” the funny, awesome, smash-hit that it was.
#7: Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank
“The Truman Show” (1998)
Ol' rubberface in an emotionally penetrating tale of personal identity in the face of modern media… aaaaaaalrighty then! In 1994, Jim Carrey was in three movies: “The Mask,” “Dumb and Dumber,” and “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.” Yeah, all in the same year! Basically, before '95, he had cemented himself as the goofiest comedy actor of the decade. “The Truman Show” was Jim Carrey like we'd never seen him before, and he played the character with an emotional nuance and naiveté that was thought impossible from an actor who in one role, literally, talked out of his rear end.
#6: Robin Williams as John Keating
“Dead Poets Society” (1989)
Already a veritable comedy legend thanks to his film and TV roles, Robin Williams played very much against character to take on the role of John Keating. In this film, the professor inspires his students to break out of their molds and become something unique and extraordinary. Speaking of unique and extraordinary, Williams captured the character with a majesty and delight that made him practically leap off the screen to inspire us all to stand on our own desks. Robin Williams would surprise us with roles again and again, eventually leading to his Oscar win in “Good Will Hunting.”
#5: Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800 'Model 101'
“The Terminator” (1984)
When director James Cameron conceived the world of the Terminator, the idea was that the machines were infiltration units, designed to go behind enemy lines and blend in with humans. So, an Austrian bodybuilder didn't exactly fit the bill at the time. Cameron felt the same way too, and his original plan was to pick a fight with Schwarzenegger so the studio wouldn't force them to work together. Instead, he couldn't help but become lifelong friends with the future Governor, and Schwarzenegger played the steely machine with a rugged coolness that only he could pull off.
#4: Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen
“The Hunger Games” (2012)
Fans of The Hunger Games novels were more than a little peeved when it was announced that Jennifer Lawrence would be bringing the books' heroine to life. The novels describe Katniss Everdeen as olive-skinned and dark haired, and although her race is never mentioned, many pointed to Lawrence's pale skin and blonde hair as a clear example of whitewashing. Like the subjects of the Panem though, Lawrence won over her audiences as she utilized her acting talent to bring the brave teenager to life with subtlety and poise. The film and its three sequels were massively successful, in no small part thanks to Lawrence's portrayal of the lead character.
#3: Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow
“Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” (2003)
Fans of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise may be surprised to learn that Johnny Depp was not always considered the perfect choice to play the film's roguish supporting hero. In fact, the screenwriter originally penned the script with Hugh Jackman in mind, and Robert De Niro was offered the role. While Hugh Jackman would later get a shot at playing a pirate in “Pan”, Depp ultimately claimed this Captain's role, making it his own by drawing inspiration from rock star Keith Richards to bring the now iconic pirate to life. Not only was Depp's performance memorable and amazing, but it also was wholesomely unique in a way that no other actor could have delivered.
#2: Harrison Ford as Han Solo
“Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” (1977)
Imagine: it's 1975, you're casting a new little movie called Star Wars, and you say you want Harrison Ford to play a character, and everyone says… “who?” Granted, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher were also unknowns at the time, but considering Kurt Russell and Al Pacino were strongly considered for the role, and both of them were big names at the time, casting a relative unknown was a pretty risky maneuver. It paid off big though, and launched Harrison Ford into his status as an icon.
Before we reveal our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Colin Firth as Harry Hart
“Kingsman: The Secret Service” (2014)
John Travolta as Vincent Vega
“Pulp Fiction” (1994)
Kelsey Grammer as Beast
“X-Men: The Last Stand” (2006)
Adam Driver as Kylo Ren
“Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens” (2015)
Leonardo DiCaprio as Arnie Grape
“What's Eating Gilbert Grape” (1993)
#1: Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man
“Iron Man” (2008)
For you nineties babies out there, you may not believe us, but there was a time when RDJ couldn't get an acting job to save his life. After substance abuse tore his life apart, and a small stint in jail, the producer of 2003's “Gothika” refused to give Robert Downey Jr. his whole paycheck until the filming was complete. When it came to casting Tony Stark, Jon Favreau was insistent that Downey was the best choice – not only was he perfect for the character, but he would also elevate the film. Favreau was right, and RDJ's performance paved the way for one of the most successful film franchises of all time.
read more...
