Not Starring George Clooney...The Films that Could Have Been

The website notstarring.com maintains list of roles turned down by famous actors and actresses. George's list is pretty interesting; some I've heard before, and some are new to me. In any case, they would have made for very different films:

About a Boy
Clooney was considered for the role of Will.
Actor who got the part: Hugh Grant

Batman Triumphant
Clooney was going to reprise his role as Batman prior to the film's cancellation.

The Da Vinci Code
Clooney was considered for the role of Robert Langdon.
Actor who got the part: Tom Hanks

Down with Love
Turned down the Rock Hudson/Cary Grant/James Garner-type role in the romantic comedy done in the style of Doris Day movies of the 'Sixties.
Actor who got the part: Ewan McGregor

Fantastic Four
George Clooney was considered for the role of Mr. Fantastic.
Actor who got the part: Ioan Gruffudd

The Fountain
Was offered the starring role in director Darren Aronofsky's metaphysical sci-fi love story.
Actor who got the part: Hugh Jackman

Frost/Nixon
Clooney told playwright Peter Morgan how badly he wanted to direct the film version of his play.
Actor who got the part: Ron Howard

Good Night, and Good Luck.
The star, director and co-writer of the film about crusading, truth-telling TV news legend Edward R. Murrow found that he was too busy to play the leading role and so cast instead the great David Strathairn.
Actor who got the part: David Strathairn

King Kong
Director Peter Jackson said he wanted either Clooney or Robert De Niro to play moviemaker/explorer/showman "Carl Denham."
Actor who got the part: Jack Black

The Life of David Gale
Clooney was considered for the role of David Gale.
Actor who got the part: Kevin Spacey

Once Upon a Time in Mexico
Clooney was the first choice to play Sands.
Actor who got the part: Johnny Depp

A Prairie Home Companion
According to the introduction of the published screenplay, Garrison Keillor wrote the part he played for George Clooney.
Actor who got the part: Garrison Keillor

Reservoir Dogs
George Clooney tried out for the role of Mr. Blonde.
Actor who got the part: Michael Madsen

Return to Me
Clooney turned down the lead role.
Actor who got the part: David Duchovny

Sideways
Very much wanted to play the womanizing actor "Jack," but the director preferred a much less well-known persona.
Actor who got the part: Thomas Haden Church

Thelma and Louise
Before he was a super-star, George Clooney auditioned five times for the part of J.D.
Actor who got the part: Brad Pitt

Wild Wild West
Clooney was considered for the role of Artemus Gordon
Actor who got the part: Kevin Kline

World Trade Center
George Clooney turned down the lead role.
Actor who got the part: Nicolas Cage

I'm glad he turned some of these down, since they turned out to be hot messes (Wild Wild West and The Fountain), and I'm pretty sure Garrison Keillor saying he wanted George Clooney to play himself was a joke. But I really would have liked to see some of these, especially About a Boy and Return to Me (co-starring Clooney friend Bonnie Hunt!). And it's not on the list, but I just saw Magic Mike, and the idea that George was the first choice for Matthew McConaughey's role (according to Soderbergh) makes me so sad for us that he turned it down.

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There is no way I could see George in Magic Mike. Not saying I wouldn't want him stripping nekkid, but I don't see him in it at all.

I'm with you on wanting to see George in About A Boy. Although Hugh Grant did it so well it's hard to imagine anyone else in that role, but George could have been good too.

Apparently his audition for Resevoir Dogs was so awful that Quentin Tarantino contacted his agent to see if George had mental issues!

I can't help thinking that maybe King kong would have been much better with George in the lead.

Can't even imagine him in Prairie Home or Fantastic Four--just not his schtick--but would have loved to have seen him in The Da Vinci Code. I wasn't impressed with Tom H in that role. Thought he sounded like he was just reading lines and he didn't seem to fit with the character's description in the book.

Re. About a Boy....Can George "do" an English accent ?
I can't remember him doing that, can anyone ?

To be honest, I don't think I'd enjoy watching him acting
as an English man.

My guess is they would have Americanized the character. Love him, but George is not an "accent" actor.

I think Sideways would have been a good choice but I understand why he didn't get it. I agree that the DaVinci Code would have been a great fit.....much more his kind of roll. I actually have not seen most of these but I did see The Fountain and after a few viewings on cable I finally got what it was about. Not sure he could have played the role----at least all the roles. The ones set in modern times would have been fine but not the past or future lives. Interesting film.

Why no?................Pretty woman?

Silly Girl, was the movie version of The Fountain taken from an Ayn Rand book? Curious.

I thought so too when I first saw it but it is actually an original story I think written by the director. Very strange but interesting....like I said it took a few viewings to get a grasp on it.

Well if it's not a Rand take off, I'll have to give it a go. Thanks!