George Clooney Says He Was “Annoyed” Over Losing Old Role to Brad Pitt

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George Clooney is still looking for his invitation to this bloody road trip. 

The actor, known for his role in Ocean’s Eleven, recently recalled losing out on a part in the 1991 film Thelma & Louise to his friend, Brad Pitt.

George Clooney, 64, recently told the Sunday Times that he auditioned for the movie Thelma & Louise but lost the role to Brad Pitt. He jokingly expressed his frustration, admitting he avoided watching the film for years because he was upset it became Pitt’s big break. Clooney explained that Pitt was primarily doing television sitcoms at the time, and the role could have been his own breakthrough moment in film. He said he felt particularly disappointed because it could have significantly boosted his career.

Brad Pitt’s charming performance as J.D. – the con man who swindles Thelma (Susan Sarandon) and Louise (Geena Davis) during their road trip – helped him land several leading roles over the next ten years. George Clooney, on the other hand, first gained recognition on television with the show ER in 1994, but his big break in film didn’t come until 1996 with From Dusk Till Dawn.

George Clooney, who has 8-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella, with his wife Amal, said his longtime friend Brad Pitt often playfully makes fun of him for not being in the Ridley Scott film. However, Brad eventually did watch it despite his teasing.

George continued, “He definitely gives me a hard time. But when I saw what happened, I immediately knew it had to be him.”

Brad Pitt didn’t have an easy time landing the role. The actor, who shares six children – Maddox (24), Pax (21), Zahara (20), Shiloh (19), and twins Vivienne and Knox (17) – with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie, has said he actually auditioned for the part multiple times before finally getting it.

He remembered telling himself, ‘I’m the right person for this role.’ He initially didn’t get the part, and it came back around twice more, each time with the same result. He thought it was about three attempts in total before he finally moved on.

After he passed the hill, Brad made some lasting memories with his fellow actors, both during filming and off-camera.

He described Geena as a very sweet, kind, and gentle person, then talked about a romantic scene they filmed together. He said the scene took two full days to shoot and that she was very considerate of him during it.

Brad Pitt wasn’t the only actor who nearly missed out on a famous role. Here are some other stars who almost didn’t get their big parts…

Miles Teller, known for his role in Top Gun: Maverick, auditioned for several parts on Friday Night Lights, even trying out for the role that ultimately went to Taylor Kitsch.

The Star Trek actor lost out on the role, which ultimately went to Ben McKenzie, due to his bad acne.

He shared on Josh Horowitz’s podcast, Happy Sad Confused, in May 2024 that he struggled with bad skin both as a teenager and again after finishing college.

In a 2021 interview, the actor from American Pie shared that turning down a particular role is one of his biggest regrets. He explained that at the time, he was questioning whether he wanted to start doing television, and wasn’t sure he was ready for that career path. He admits now that thinking like that probably sounds arrogant.

Casting director David Rapaport revealed to EW that he initially wanted Alden Ehrenreich for the role of Dan, but producers felt Ehrenreich, at 5’9″, wasn’t tall enough to be Blake Lively’s romantic lead. The part ultimately went to Penn Badgley, who is roughly the same height as Ehrenreich, according to online sources.

You know, it’s funny the roles you pass on! I recently revisited a story from my memoir about turning down the part of ‘McDreamy’ on Grey’s Anatomy, and it came up again when I was chatting with Marc Maron on his podcast. I jokingly said it’s probably cost me around $70 million, but honestly? It’s just money. I actually watched the pilot when it first aired, and when they started calling the lead doctor ‘McDreamy,’ I immediately knew it wasn’t the right fit for me. Some roles just aren’t you, you know?

Benedict Cumberbatch, known for his roles in Sherlock and as Doctor Strange, once tried out for the part of the vampire Bill Compton. Ultimately, Stephen Moyer ended up getting the role.

Before becoming an Academy Award nominee, Jessica Chastain auditioned for the role of Sookie Stackhouse, but Anna Paquin ultimately landed the part.

When she was 17, Jennifer Lawrence auditioned for the role of Crystal Norris, a werepanther, and was a strong contender. However, her age ultimately led the producers to cast Lindsay Pulsipher instead.

Tiffani Thiessen, known for her roles in Saved By the Bell and Beverly Hills, 90210, revealed she tried out for the part of Rachel on Friends. However, producers felt she was too young for the role.

Katherine Langford, known for her role in 13 Reasons Why, actually auditioned for the part of Betty Cooper on Riverdale. Camila Mendes, who plays Veronica on the show, shared that she and other actors met with potential cast members, including Langford, while getting falafel with someone auditioning to play Archie.

I still can’t believe anyone almost wasn’t Jen Lindley! Apparently, Kevin Williamson almost cast Katherine Heigl! I mean, Katherine Heigl! The pilot director, Steve Miner, was a huge fan of hers from his movie ‘My Father the Hero’ and brought her to Kevin’s attention. He said she actually looked a little older then, even though she was younger, she just seemed more mature. He remembered everyone being blown away by her audition – they all thought she was amazing! It’s wild to think how different things could have been!

Katie Holmes became a star thanks to her role as Joey Potter, Dawson Leery’s friend and love interest, but she almost didn’t get the part. According to the show’s creator, Kevin Williamson, Selma Blair was originally cast in the role. However, Williamson told Entertainment Weekly that a last-minute audition tape from Katie Holmes changed everything. He said receiving the tape from Toledo, Ohio, was a turning point for him and the show.

Actress Lori Edelstein came very close to landing the famous role of Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City. She even had a signed contract, but she was second choice to Sarah Jessica Parker. According to Edelstein, the decision rested entirely on whether Parker would accept the part. She was prepared to start, simply waiting for the final confirmation. It’s hard to picture anyone else as Carrie now, but Edelstein’s story makes perfect sense – she was ready to go if Parker hadn’t been.

Originally, The CW network envisioned Ashley Olsen playing the lead role of the stylish blonde in the Upper East Side, according to casting director David Rapaport. However, Rapaport was set on Blake Lively for the part. He told Buzzfeed he worried they wouldn’t be able to cast her, or that she wouldn’t be a good fit, because he believed the show’s success depended on her, and he didn’t have a backup plan.

The CW initially wanted Rumer Willis, who would later win Dancing With the Stars, to star in Gossip Girl. However, casting director Rapaport felt she wasn’t the right fit for the role—and ultimately cast her on 90210 instead. He explained to Buzzfeed that he admired Rumer and her potential, but he believed the show needed relatively unknown actresses who truly embodied the spirit of the series and could sustain it for its six-season run.

Before Keke Palmer landed her role on Fox’s comedy-horror series Scream Queens, she was a contender for the part of Iris West on The Flash. Ultimately, Candice Patton got the role. Casting director David Rapaport explained to Buzzfeed that while they liked Candice from the start, they weren’t quite ready to make a decision. They then tested Keke Palmer and another actress, but both felt too young alongside Grant Gustin. When they brought Candice back for another audition, Rapaport said there was an instant connection.

Iwan Rheon recently shared with The Telegraph that he was a finalist for the role of Jon Snow in the original Game of Thrones pilot. Ultimately, Rheon ended up playing Ramsay Snow – a character many fans loved to hate during season 5 – while Kit Harington became known and loved as Jon Snow. It’s hard to picture anything different, and honestly, we don’t want to!

Josh Schwartz, who worked with Chris Pratt on the last season of The O.C., shared that Pratt was originally his top pick for the role of Chuck Bartowski. However, Pratt ended up becoming famous for Guardians of the Galaxy instead. Schwartz joked that it was a fortunate turn of events, adding, “Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.”

Katie Holmes, known for her role in Dawson’s Creek, met with Orange Is the New Black creator Jenji Kohan while the show was still being developed, Kohan recently shared. Although Holmes was a fan of the series, Kohan told TopMob News that Holmes had other commitments at the time. Kohan also explained that early on, it wasn’t clear what Orange Is the New Black would become.

Cobie Smulders revealed that she originally auditioned for the role of Kate Austen on Lost but ended up playing Robin Scherbatsky on How I Met Your Mother, meaning two popular TV shows could have had very different casts.

Cobie Smulders shared in a 2014 interview with TopMob News that both she and Evangeline Lilly auditioned for the show Lost. Smulders jokingly said she did so poorly in her audition that it actually helped Lilly land the role, with Lilly expressing her gratitude.

While most people think of The Good Wife as Julianna Margulies’ breakout role, she almost didn’t get the part. The Emmy-winning actress recently shared that the studio initially considered Ashley Judd and Helen Hunt for the lead role before ultimately casting her.

It’s hard to picture anyone but Sarah Michelle Gellar as the vampire slayer in Sunnydale, but Katie Holmes was originally offered the part! She decided to focus on school instead, which opened the door for Gellar to take on the iconic role.

Edie Falco ultimately landed the role, but it was first offered to Lorraine Bracco. Bracco turned it down, explaining that she’d already played a similar character in Goodfellas and was looking for a new challenge.

Before becoming famous for her role on Empire, Taraji P. Henson shared that she once auditioned for the part of Olivia Pope on Scandal. She admitted that when she went to read for Shonda Rhimes, she felt it was clearly a role meant for Kerry Washington and wondered why she was even considered. She knew the part belonged to Washington.

Believe it or not, Gillian Anderson—known for playing Agent Scully in The X-Files—was offered a role in Downton Abbey! She ultimately decided not to take it, and the part ended up going to Elizabeth McGovern.

 

While it’s difficult to picture anyone but Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert in The CW’s popular show, she wasn’t the network’s initial pick. The producers were convinced after revisiting her audition tape, ultimately choosing the talented Bulgarian actress.

The famous singer was offered the main part in a show starring Bill Cosby, but she declined the opportunity to focus on her singing career.

For fans of Sex and the City, Sarah Jessica Parker is synonymous with Carrie Bradshaw, but Dana Delany was originally offered the part. The Emmy-winning actress turned it down because she’d previously appeared in several films with adult themes (Nude Girls, Exit to Eden) and didn’t want to take on a project that prominently featured “sex” in its title.

Jerry Seinfeld offered Paul Shaffer, David Letterman’s longtime bandleader, a job on his show without even asking for an audition, but Shaffer never responded to the offer.

AMC initially wanted Jane to play Don Draper, but Jon Hamm revealed in a podcast that she turned down the role because she wasn’t interested in being a series regular on television. Ironically, he later became a star in HBO’s Hung.

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2025-12-01 20:48