1.
In a 2015 interview, Zoë Kravitz revealed that she auditioned for a part in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, but was told she was “too urban” for the role.
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Maggie Gyllenhaal shared that she was told by a Hollywood producer she was simply “too old” to play the love interest opposite a 55-year-old man, despite being 37 at the time.
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Scarlett Johansson was told she was essentially “too sexy” for the lead role in David Fincher’s adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
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Tiffany Haddish revealed how she used to “secretly” record auditions by leaving her purse behind so she could hear why she was rejected for certain roles, some of which claimed, “She’s so ghetto.”
5.
Regé-Jean Page shared how he was denied the role of Superman’s grandfather in the Syfy series Krypton due to his skin color.
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Mindy Kaling recalled an audition where she was rejected for not being “attractive enough” to play herself on a sketch show.
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Nia Long revealed she was passed over for a lead role in the 2000 Charlie’s Angels film for being “too old” and “too sophisticated.”
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Winona Ryder was told she lost out on a role because she was “too Jewish,” and was told separately that she “wasn’t attractive enough” to be a star in the ’80s by a casting director.
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Meryl Streep revealed she was rejected from a big role in the 1976 King Kong remake because she was “too ugly.”
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Catherine Zeta-Jones explained that she lost out on the main role in the theatrical play, Aspects of Love, for being “too old” at the age of 19.
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Similarly, Olivia Wilde was also told she was “too old” to play opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, despite being only 29.
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James McAvoy shared that he’s lost many roles due to his 5’7″ height making him “too short” for certain parts.
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Lastly, Reese Witherspoon stated she’s lost various roles due to the fact that she’s “too smart” for certain parts, among other ridiculous reasons.
Know any more actors who’ve been denied roles for ridiculous reasons? Share in the comments down below!