Josh Hutcherson Reveals He Was Almost Cast as Spider-Man

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Josh Hutcherson nearly traded in Peeta Mellark’s apron for a spider suit.

Josh Hutcherson, known for his role in The Hunger Games, recently shared that he almost played Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), but the part ended up going to Andrew Garfield.

Josh, 33, recently revealed on Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s podcast, Dinner’s on Me, that he almost played Spider-Man. He auditioned for the role a few months before landing his part in The Hunger Games, but didn’t get it. While he was disappointed at the time, he said getting cast in The Hunger Games shortly after was an unexpected and amazing turn of events.

He continued, “Hunger Games came out of nowhere. It just changed everything.”

Josh hasn’t forgotten the effort he put into nearly landing the Marvel role. He shared last January that a former stunt double, a friend of his, assisted him with audition preparation.

He told Wired that they went to a stunt training gym and tried to film him doing Spider-Man-like moves, but he wasn’t successful.

Looking back, getting turned down for that other role was honestly the best thing that could have happened! It’s how Josh ended up joining the cast of The Hunger Games, and I’ll never forget seeing him in all four movies – The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and both parts of Mockingjay. He was amazing alongside Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss and Liam Hemsworth as Gale. Even though he isn’t as involved with the new prequel films, he still talks about how much fun he had filming the originals, and it always makes me smile to hear those stories.

I was really surprised to hear that the actor who played a key role in Five Nights at Freddy’s actually went through some tough times personally while they were finishing the movie. It’s a shame to learn that creating something fans are excited about came with a personal cost for him.

He told Variety in November that he immediately rejected the idea, saying, ‘I didn’t want any part of it.’ He explained that he was unexpectedly thrown into the public eye, something he never sought and that cost him his privacy.

Josh wasn’t initially ready for so much attention, but he’s now comfortable being in the public eye. Because he’s found that balance, he’s willing to reprise his role in any future Hunger Games movies.

He said he’d be thrilled to work with director Francis Lawrence, Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, and Woody Harrelson again. He wouldn’t need any persuading – he’d jump at the chance to rejoin them on set.

Keep reading to see more stars who almost missed their iconic roles…

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In his 2014 memoir and again on Marc Maron’s podcast, actor Rob Lowe shared that he once turned down the role of the character nicknamed ‘McDreamy.’ He jokingly estimated this decision might have cost him $70 million, but added, ‘It’s just money.’ Lowe explained that after watching the pilot episode and hearing the doctor referred to as ‘McDreamy,’ he realized the part wasn’t a good fit for him.

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 Oscar 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, revealed this, saying they met a potential Archie actor while getting falafel.

Most fans can’t picture anyone but Jennifer Love Hewitt as Jen Lindley, but series creator Kevin Williamson recently shared with Entertainment Weekly that Katherine Heigl was a strong contender for the role. Steve Miner, who directed the pilot, suggested Heigl – whom he’d worked with in his 1994 film, My Father the Hero. Williamson remembers Heigl appearing more mature than her age and delivering a very impressive audition. “We were all really impressed with how good she was,” he said.

I’ll never forget how Katie Holmes became a household name playing Joey Potter on Dawson’s Creek! It’s crazy to think she almost didn’t get the part, though. Kevin Williamson, the show’s creator, actually said Selma Blair was originally set to play Joey. But then, he received a last-minute audition tape from Katie, filmed in her basement in Toledo, Ohio, and he was completely blown away. He’s said that tape literally changed everything for him – and for Katie, of course! It launched her career, and I’ve been a fan ever since.

As a lifestyle expert, I always find it fascinating to hear behind-the-scenes stories, and this one is a great example! Did you know that actress Kristin Davis actually had a signed contract to play Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City? It’s true! She was fully prepared to take on the role, but ultimately, she was the producers’ second choice after Sarah Jessica Parker. Kristin herself explained that everything hinged on whether Sarah Jessica would accept. She was literally waiting to find out! It’s wild to think about now, because we all picture Sarah Jessica as Carrie, but Kristin was genuinely in the running and ready to go. It really highlights how different things could have been!

Originally, The CW network considered Ashley Olsen for the role of the stylish and popular Serena van der Woodsen, but casting director David Rapaport was convinced Blake Lively was the perfect fit. He told Buzzfeed he worried they wouldn’t be able to cast Lively, or that she wouldn’t be interested, 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 eventually cast her on 90210 instead. He told Buzzfeed that he liked Rumer, and admired her growth as an actress and person, but he believed the show needed relative unknowns to truly capture its spirit and sustain it for six seasons.

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 they had seen Candice early in the casting process, but weren’t 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 revealed to The Telegraph that he was a finalist for the role of Jon Snow in the original Game of Thrones pilot. Ultimately, he ended up playing Ramsay Snow – who many fans loved to hate – while Kit Harington became known and loved as Jon Snow. It’s hard to picture things any other way!

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 good thing, adding, ‘Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.’

Katie Holmes, known for her role on Dawson’s Creek, met with Orange Is the New Black creator Jenji Kohan when the show was first being developed, Kohan shared. While Holmes was a fan of the series, Kohan told TopMob News that she had other commitments at the time. Kohan also noted 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 ultimately became known for playing Robin Scherbatsky on How I Met Your Mother. This means two popular TV shows could have had drastically 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 performed poorly in her audition, which actually helped Lilly land the role. According to Smulders, Lilly was grateful, essentially thanking her for ‘bombing’ the audition.

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 offering it to her.

It’s difficult to picture anyone but Sarah Michelle Gellar as the vampire slayer in Sunnydale, but Katie Holmes was originally offered the part on the WB series. She decided to focus on high school instead, which paved the way for Gellar to get the role.

The part that Edie Falco eventually played was first offered to Lorraine Bracco, but the actress—who was nominated for an Oscar—turned it down. She explained that she’d already played a similar role in the movie Goodfellas and was looking for a new challenge.

Before landing her record-breaking role on Empire, Taraji P. Henson shared that she auditioned for the part of Olivia Pope on Scandal. She admitted that when she went to read for Shonda Rhimes, she felt it was a role destined for Kerry Washington and wondered why she was even being 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 part in Downton Abbey, but she decided not to take it. The role ultimately went to Elizabeth McGovern.

 

Though it’s difficult to picture anyone else in the role now, Nina Dobrev wasn’t the CW’s initial pick for Elena Gilbert. The producers were ultimately won over after revisiting her audition tape, recognizing the talent of the Bulgarian actress.

The famous singer was offered the main part in a series starring Bill Cosby, but she decided to focus on her music instead.

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 already appeared in several projects with mature themes – like Nude Girls and Exit to Eden – and didn’t want to take on a role in something with “sex” in the title.

Jerry Seinfeld offered Paul Shaffer, David Letterman’s bandleader, a job on his show without asking for an audition, but Shaffer didn’t respond to the offer.

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

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2025-12-10 01:20