Lame Excuses Actors Used To Justify Their Major Audition Fails
We actually feel for Salma Hayek.
Here are 6 top actors who have missed out on iconic roles for the most ridiculous and shameful of reasons.
John Krasinski
While still in the midst of filming for the iconic Office series, John Krasinski was auditioning for the role of Captain America. The actor made it far enough to try on the costume and perform a screen test but had a confidence-shattering encounter on the studio lot with Chris Hemsworth, who portrayed Thor in the franchise.
Hemsworth's impressive physique and imposing presence made Krasinski realize he didn't quite meet the physical requirements to play Cap, and the actor ended up giving up on himself too soon.
Salma Hayek
It turns out that Salma Hayek once had her shot at a role in The Matrix, but missed. During her audition for the role of Trinity, the actress confessed to being "lazy" after the aspiring actress was put through a physical test.
Hayek struggled to run without getting out of breath, and her lack of stamina was the main reason she believes she didn't secure a role in the franchise (via People).
Tom Hiddleston
According to the Shakespearean documentary, titled Muse of Fire, Tom Hiddleston missed out on a major opportunity in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise due to an ill-prepared audition, as instead of preparing for the role, he chose to spend time with friends the night before.
His hangover and lack of preparation led to a disappointing audition, with Hiddleston using the late receipt of the script as an excuse, but he has since learned that such excuses don't hold up (via YouTube).
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Freddie Prinze Jr., best known for his success in genre films, once auditioned for the role of Spider-Man but inadvertently derailed his chances by discussing Venom with the film's director, Sam Raimi, for 25 minutes straight.
He later regretted shifting his focus to the character, who wasn't even in the movie, but interestingly, Raimi later included the character in Spider-Man 3 (via Insider).
Jake Gyllenhaal
It may come as a surprise, but Jake Gyllenhaal tried to audition for the role of Frodo in The Lord of the Rings when he was a young actor. However, his audition went awry because the actor forgot to use an English accent.
His agents had forgotten to inform the actor of the accent requirement, and Gyllenhaal ended up being called "the worst actor [he's] ever seen" by Peter Jackson himself.
Michael B. Jordan
John Boyega went on to become the iconic Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, but of course, he was not the only one who was striving to get such an opportunity. Apparently, Michael B. Jordan auditioned for the role but faced a unique challenge by using ambiguous placeholders instead of actual scripted scenes.
The actor openly admitted that he struggled with the material, stating that he couldn't wrap his head around everything that was going on (via IndieWire).