These actors almost got the part, and this is what your childhood would have looked like.
Imagine Ron Weasley as Prince Charming, Lizzie McGuire as a Teenage Drama Queen, and anyone in Hollywood as Princess Mia. It’s weird, but you almost didn’t have to, because these actors almost landed the part. Get in your time machine, this is what the ’90s/’00s could have looked like.
Rupert Grint in ‘A Cinderella Story’
Ron Weasley was almost the one sweeping Cinderella off her feet. Too bad he didn’t have time between years at Hogwarts to moonlight as Prince Charming, so Chad Michael Murray did the honours. (Source)
Reese Witherspoon in ‘Clueless’
Before her Cruel Intentions days, Witherspoon could have been Cher. But, like, whatever. We are so totally glad they went with Alicia Silverstone. She’s a total Betty. (Source)
Josh Hartnett/Ashton Kutcher in ’10 Things I Hate About You’
Josh Hartnett and Ashton Kutcher might be good (and cute), but no one can do bad boy Australian like the original Australian bad boy. Heath, we miss you, but at least we will always have this delight. (Source)
Drew Barrymore/Sarah Michelle Gellar/Everyone in ‘The Princess Diaries’
Juliette Lewis, Cameron Diaz, Alyssa Milano, Drew Barrymore, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Brittany Murphy, Claire Danes, and many more were offered the part before Hathaway was asked. Even if you’re last to be asked, it’s not a bad list to be on. (Source)
Matthew McConaughey/Macaulay Culkin in ‘Titanic’
As if anyone could really beat Leo (just look at that baby face), but McConaughey and Culkin were considered. Personally we like our Home Alone and our Titanic kept well away from each other. (Source/Source)
Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘Hocus Pocus’
Speaking of Leo, he was initially offered the role of Max in Hocus Pocus. We’re pretty sure that when the Academy heard that he had passed on that tie-dye shirt in order to do What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, they gave him a nomination out of approval. (Source)
On page 2: ‘Bring it On’, ‘Lizzie McGuire’, ‘The Parent Trap’ and more!
Terri Conn in ‘Bring It On’
Aside from the fact that her name rhymes with the title of the movie, this girl has no business with our Torrence. Terri who? Exactly. We’re total Kirsten Dunst cheerleaders. (Source)
Sara Paxton in ‘Lizzie McGuire’
Paxon almost landed the role that made Hilary Duff famous. Since then, Duff has become a successful business woman. And Paxton has played a mermaid. We’ll let you be the judge. (Source)
Hilary Duff in ‘Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen’
Lindsay Lohan’s role was first offered to Duff. It’s a good thing she turned it down because now that LiLo has gone off the rails, we need all the good memories we can get. (Source)
Kelly Osbourne/Michelle Trachtenberg in ‘Freaky Friday’
LiLo was almost missing from this masterpiece as well, thanks to Kelly Osbourne and Michelle Trachtenberg. But Lindsay was a veteran of unnecessary remakes by this point, so that probably worked in her favour. (Source/Source)
Michelle Trachtenberg in ‘The Parent Trap’
Trachtenberg strikes again! Alright, she is pretty adorable as a kid. But LiLo! And freckles! And the overwhelming sadness and nostalgia we feel watching this film now that she has grown up (and grow up weird)! No, just us? (Source)
Jesse McCartney in ‘She’s the Man’
No one remembers Jesse McCartney’s music career, but no one remembers this guy from She’s the Man anyway, so this would have been a good fit. Remember, this is the movie when we were supposed to pretend Amanda Bynes made a convincing dude. Yeah. (Source)
Jessica Simpson in ‘A Walk to Remember’
The casting notice seems to have been “girl + music”, but we’re glad they went the brunette option. There’s no way that Jess could have made us sob our hearts out the way that Mandy Moore did. (Source)