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Harry Potter wouldn’t be the same without Ron Weasley. I mean, Rupert Grint. And the lovable naif Forrest Gump wouldn’t exist without Tom Hanks.

You see, most exceptionally strong characters become almost inseparable from the actors who played them. Like, Twilight and the official heartthrob of the 2000s, Robert Pattinson, will forever stay as the pale, charming vampire with a slow voice in a movie of otherwise questionable quality.

But it turns out, our all-time favorite roles could have been played by entirely different actors. So Bored Panda has compiled a list of pics of two actors, the original one versus the current one, placed side by side for an uncanny question of “what if?”

Let your imagination run free, and just think how different it would have been if Neo was Will Smith. It’s almost like history would also have to be rewritten, but who knows, maybe it’d have been for the better?

#1

Tim Roth Turned Down The Role Of Severus Snape In "Harry Potter", Eventually Played By Alan Rickman

Tim Roth Turned Down The Role Of Severus Snape In "Harry Potter", Eventually Played By Alan Rickman

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#2

Will Smith Turned Down The Role Of Neo In "The Matrix", Eventually Played By Keanu Reeves

Will Smith Turned Down The Role Of Neo In "The Matrix", Eventually Played By Keanu Reeves

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cathal avatar
Cathal
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nicolas Cage auditioned for this and every other film on this entire list :P

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#3

Thomas Brodie-Sangster Auditioned For The Part Of Ron Weasley In "Harry Potter", Rupert Grint Was Cast

Thomas Brodie-Sangster Auditioned For The Part Of Ron Weasley In "Harry Potter", Rupert Grint Was Cast

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MyPrecious
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

no way Rupert way too good to be rejected he is the one and only ron for the job

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There’s something about the strong characters we like that makes us feel deeply attached to them. Like, genuinely attached as we feel their pains and joys just like they were our close friends or relatives.

The topic is no stranger to academic scholars and Howard Sklar, a postdoctoral researcher in the English Philology Unit at the University of Helsinki, has his own theory. Turns out, our bond with fictional characters reflects our bond with people in the real world.

“We’d have no way of processing a character cognitively if we didn’t have experiences with people outside of the fictional world,” he explains. “The experiences with fictional characters resonate with us because of the fact that we’ve had deep experiences with people throughout our lives.”

#4

John Travolta Turned Down The Role Of Forrest Gump, Eventually Played By Tom Hanks

John Travolta Turned Down The Role Of Forrest Gump, Eventually Played By Tom Hanks

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#5

Sean Connery Said No To Playing Gandalf In "The Lord Of The Rings", Ian Mckellen Took The Part

Sean Connery Said No To Playing Gandalf In "The Lord Of The Rings", Ian Mckellen Took The Part

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#6

Ian Mckellen Turned Down The Part Of Albus Dumbledore In "Harry Potter", Michael Gambon Was Cast

Ian Mckellen Turned Down The Part Of Albus Dumbledore In "Harry Potter", Michael Gambon Was Cast

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And as we invest our attention, time, and empathy in the characters of a particularly engaging film or novel, we begin to respond to them as though they were real individuals. Even if we cannot truly connect with their circumstances, e.g. we have never been in a war, our ability to feel emotionally for fictional beings can transcend these details and make them unimportant. This is what powerful filmmaking and the art of storytelling do to us.

#7

Tom Cruise Was Considered For The Part Of Iron Man, But Robert Downey, Jr Was Cast

Tom Cruise Was Considered For The Part Of Iron Man, But Robert Downey, Jr Was Cast

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#8

Robin Williams Wanted To Play Rubeus Hagrid In "Harry Potter" But Was Rejected, Robbie Coltrane Got The Part

Robin Williams Wanted To Play Rubeus Hagrid In "Harry Potter" But Was Rejected, Robbie Coltrane Got The Part

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#9

Jim Carrey Was Considered To Play Edward Scissorhands, Johnny Depp Got The Part

Jim Carrey Was Considered To Play Edward Scissorhands, Johnny Depp Got The Part

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Lxm
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Jc would not have brought the wonderful whimsy that jd did to the role. Would have been just another joke.

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#10

Russell Crowe Turned Down The Role Of Aragorn In "The Lord Of The Rings", Eventually Played By Viggo Mortensen

Russell Crowe Turned Down The Role Of Aragorn In "The Lord Of The Rings", Eventually Played By Viggo Mortensen

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#11

Bette Midler Turned Down The Part Of Sister Mary Clarence In "Sister Act", Eventually Played By Whoopi Goldberg

Bette Midler Turned Down The Part Of Sister Mary Clarence In "Sister Act", Eventually Played By Whoopi Goldberg

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MyPrecious
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

hey whoopis Goldberg is in another movie called corrina corrina it is an amazing movie

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#12

Eddie Redmayne Auditioned For The Part Of Star-Lord In "Guardians Of The Galaxy", But Chris Pratt Was Cast

Eddie Redmayne Auditioned For The Part Of Star-Lord In "Guardians Of The Galaxy", But Chris Pratt Was Cast

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#13

Al Pacino Turned Down The Part Of Han Solo In "Star Wars", Eventually Played By Harrison Ford

Al Pacino Turned Down The Part Of Han Solo In "Star Wars", Eventually Played By Harrison Ford

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#14

Matthew Mcconaughey Auditioned For The Role Of Jack Dawson In "Titanic", Eventually Played By Leonardo Dicaprio

Matthew Mcconaughey Auditioned For The Role Of Jack Dawson In "Titanic", Eventually Played By Leonardo Dicaprio

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#15

Christina Applegate Was Considered For The Role Of Elle Woods In "Legally Blonde", Eventually Played By Reese Witherspoon

Christina Applegate Was Considered For The Role Of Elle Woods In "Legally Blonde", Eventually Played By Reese Witherspoon

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#16

Ryan Gosling Was Considered For The Role Of Doctor Strange, Eventually Played By Benedict Cumberbatch

Ryan Gosling Was Considered For The Role Of Doctor Strange, Eventually Played By Benedict Cumberbatch

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#17

Paul Giamatt Declined The Role Of Michael Scott In "The Office", Steve Carell Got The Part

Paul Giamatt Declined The Role Of Michael Scott In "The Office", Steve Carell Got The Part

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#18

Emily Blunt Was The First Choice To Play Black Widow, But Scarlett Johansson Got The Part

Emily Blunt Was The First Choice To Play Black Widow, But Scarlett Johansson Got The Part

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Vic
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've read she's been offered Marvel roles multiple times, but couldn't take them up coz of date clashes. Scarlett Johansson is awesome, but Emily Blunt would have made an excellent Black Widow too..

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#19

Hugh Grant Was Considered For The Part Of Gilderoy Lockhart In "Harry Potter", But Kenneth Branagh Was Cast

Hugh Grant Was Considered For The Part Of Gilderoy Lockhart In "Harry Potter", But Kenneth Branagh Was Cast

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#20

Gwyneth Paltrow Turned Down The Role Of Rose Dewitt Bukater In "Titanic", Kate Winslet Got The Part

Gwyneth Paltrow Turned Down The Role Of Rose Dewitt Bukater In "Titanic", Kate Winslet Got The Part

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#21

Emilia Clarke Turned Down The Role Of Anastasia Steele In "Fifty Shades Of Grey", Eventually Played By Dakota Johnson

Emilia Clarke Turned Down The Role Of Anastasia Steele In "Fifty Shades Of Grey", Eventually Played By Dakota Johnson

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Kisses4Katie
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah poor girl didn't want to be associated with sex roles for everything.

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#22

Liam Aiken Was Offered The Role Of Harry Potter, But Daniel Radcliffe Got The Part

Liam Aiken Was Offered The Role Of Harry Potter, But Daniel Radcliffe Got The Part

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Janine B.
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just considering his looks, he would have been a good choice, too.

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#23

Joanne Rowling Was Asked To Play Lily Potter In "Harry Potter", But She Declined, Geraldine Somerville Got The Part

Joanne Rowling Was Asked To Play Lily Potter In "Harry Potter", But She Declined, Geraldine Somerville Got The Part

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Daria Z
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh but that would be neat as she's actually the one who created him.

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#24

Hugh Jackman Turned Down The Role Of James Bond, Eventually Played By Daniel Craig

Hugh Jackman Turned Down The Role Of James Bond, Eventually Played By Daniel Craig

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#25

Henry Cavill Was The First Pick To Play Edward Cullen In "Twilight", Robert Pattinson Was Cast For The Role

Henry Cavill Was The First Pick To Play Edward Cullen In "Twilight", Robert Pattinson Was Cast For The Role

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#26

David Thewlis Was Considered For The Role Of Quirinus Quirrell In "Harry Potter", Eventually Played By Ian Hart

David Thewlis Was Considered For The Role Of Quirinus Quirrell In "Harry Potter", Eventually Played By Ian Hart

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#27

Britney Spears Auditioned For The Part Of Allie In "The Notebook", Eventually Played By Rachel Mcadams

Britney Spears Auditioned For The Part Of Allie In "The Notebook", Eventually Played By Rachel Mcadams

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Bole Perishon
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In spite of her attempts, Britney Spears can not be categorised as "actress".

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#28

Jennifer Lawrence Auditioned For The Role Of Bella Swan In "Twilight", But Kristen Stewart Was Cast Instead

Jennifer Lawrence Auditioned For The Role Of Bella Swan In "Twilight", But Kristen Stewart Was Cast Instead

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#29

Emma Watson Turned Down The Part Of Mia In "La La Land", Emma Stone Was Cast

Emma Watson Turned Down The Part Of Mia In "La La Land", Emma Stone Was Cast

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로희
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love both Emmas but I think Stone was the better choice.

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#30

Jack Nicholson Passed On The Role Of Michael Corleone In "The Godfather", Eventually Played By Al Pacino

Jack Nicholson Passed On The Role Of Michael Corleone In "The Godfather", Eventually Played By Al Pacino

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birdie asf
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nope. the vibe would have been SUPER different and the movie wouldn't be the same without Al Pacino.

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Note: this post originally had 65 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

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