Other films face public uproar for the plot it tells – sometimes too odd or unrealistic. However, there are times when movies are targeted for the wrong cast: yup, these projects are slammed because the audience believe the brains behind the camera made the wrong casting decisions.
That’s why the role of the casting director is far from easy, unlike the common assumption that they just listen to the auditions of countless actors.
Being a casting director is actually not an easy role. You’ll have to think of the characters in the story and envision the perfect actor to portray the role, plus you also have to think of how the audience will feel about the chosen one. But despite the rigorous process, you really can’t please everyone.
There are countless films in the history that prove underwhelming for some critics, while others simply didn’t sit well with the audience for some reason. Here are some of the actors that landed with “wrong” roles:
Jake Gyllenhaal
Actor Jake Gyllenhaal may have a lot of awards under his belt including Golden Globes, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and Oscars, but that doesn’t mean he can snatch any role on his way.
In the 2010 fantasy film “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” the 38-year-old starred as the titular Middle Eastern character, but although he probably gave his best to give justice to the role, him being cast definitely did not sit well with a lot of people.
This was precisely because Gyllenhaal is not a Persian, making it one of the most head-scratching casting decisions.
An indie director, Jehanzeb Dar, even said in an interview that the role was both insulting to white people and Persians alike.
The worse part was that critics didn’t find the film, which took inspiration from a video game, rather entertaining.
Gal Gadot
Admit it, before Gal Gadot starred as “Wonder Woman” you may never have known her except for her short appearance as the heroine in “Batman v Superman.”
A lot of fans didn’t find her actually a fit for the role after they saw her cameo, including director Patty Jenkins.
Well, casting the best one to portray Diana, the princess of the Amazon, might be the hardest thing to do because you’ll have to think who will be worthy enough to wear her bracelets.
Others simply wanted someone younger and relatively has a fresh face to become the superhero. But alas, we saw how awesome the former Miss Israel played the part and we clamored for more.
As for the “Wonder Woman” filmmaker, she was blown away by the actress’ audition and the rest was history.
Johnny Depp
The world knows how unconventional Johnny Depp is when it comes to acting, although more often than not, this works for him for some reason.
Thanks to versatility, he is able to land roles that people may never see another actor as fit for the character – sans for his Willy Wonka portrayal in the 2005 remake of the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
Fans may already have a hint that the actor will be part of the cast of this classic Roald Dahl tale because he was close with Tim Burton.
However, it is also precisely because of his weird acting as Willy Wonka, who was supposed to look like a friendly and charming sweets connoisseur, that the character suddenly looked like a creeper.
Plus, he was easily compared to the original guy, Gene Wilder, who gave an exceptional performance in the first film. So basically Depp had quite a shoe to fill in.
Ben Affleck
When it was announced that Ben Affleck will play the caped crusader in the latest Batman film, a lot of people already expressed their disinterest.
After all, Batman is a powerful icon that needs the perfect actor to play the part – so nothing short of perfect is expected. So when news came out about the “Gone Girl” actor being the chosen one, fans immediately thought that he’ll have an older and bulkier look.
However, it seemed that the hate was mutual as Affleck had once said in an interview that he’ll be leaving the character after a few films because he was tired of it. Of course, the statement earned more ire than what his casting swirled in.