Top 10 TV Casting That Almost Happened

Top 10 Iconic TV Roles that Were Almost Played by Other Actors
Can you believe these iconic TV roles were almost played by different actors?
For this list, we’ll be looking at well-known small screen roles that could have ended up being very different if they had gone to other actors. Our list includes Hank Azaria as Joey Tribbiani on Friends, Chris Rock as George Costanza on Seinfeld, Rob Lowe as Derek Shepherd on Grey’s Anatomy, and more. Join WatchMojo as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Iconic TV Roles that Were Almost Played by Other Actors.

List Entries and Rank:
#10. Hank Azaria as Joey Tribbiani
#9. Katherine Heigl as Jen Lindley
#8. Thomas Jane as Don Draper
#7. Connie Britton as Olivia Pope
#6. Katie Holmes as Buffy Summers
#5. Dana Delany as Carrie Bradshaw
#4. Matthew Broderick as Walter White
#3, 2, 1: ???

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[chaseb]

I would have liked to see an audition tape of Broderick as Walter White...It would have been intriguing at the very least haha.

[sonaj.]

Chris Rock as George Constanza? 😆😆😆 I'm glad he turn that down

[jordanr]

Dont forget about almost the entire cast of The Office

[TenaciousJoe]

Somewhere in a different universe the list is reversed and those people are wondering what if

[MrStGeorgeIllawarra]

Rumer Willis as Serena van der Woodsen is the funniest thing i've heard all day!!!

[mccuish]

I almost spit out my drink when you said matthew broderick was almost walter white

[billdeco]

Gilligan should've shown an episode of Malcolm in the Middle instead of the X-Files to convince them to have Cranston play Walter White.

[mcthiccmac]

Hey, mojo you should do top jazz bands or musicians;D

[shubhamgoel]

I can't even imagine Ellen DeGeneres as Phoebe Buffay 'coz Lisa Kudrow is Phoebe Buffay, Phoebe Buffay is Lisa Kudrow.😐😐😐

[Kim.Garian]

This certainly was an interesting one to share with my Mom. She was pretty surprised with the Chris Rock one!

[bluebear]

Paul Shaffer claims in his autobiography that he was pretty much offered the role of George Costanza, and that he didn't even have to audition. At the time, he was still on "Late Night with David Letterman" on NBC. Unfortunately for him, he never returned the phone call regarding the part. It wasn't that big a loss for Shaffer, as he would have steady work in late night television until Letterman's retirement in 2015.

[Slippinjimmy]

What about Bob Odenkirk almost being Michael Scott

[VanRocCarMor]

Walter White played by Matthew Broderick? Interesting. Don't discount him. Cranston was a bumbling idiot dad in Malcolm in the Middle. Broderick would have been an intriguing choice.

[batgurrl]

Number 1 was a real shock. What a different show that would be😎😎😎

[peachbasket]

8:57 Her name is "Rosie O'Donnell" and not "Rosie O'Donald"

[pureafricanqueen]

I asked John cusack if he regretted declining the role of WW and he said it was never offered to him. Draw your own conclusions, YouTube commenters.

[richardsharpe]

Not many people know this that Don Johnson of Miami Vice fame was the first choice to play Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS but he turned the part down and Mark Harmon got the role instead

[AllMediaReviewsPodcast]

Chris Rock would have been super weird as George Costanza; in fact I would be shocked if they named his character that.

[itskirstiswani]

Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl was almost cast by a different actor because Ed who plays him is English and needed a VISA to work on the show lucky his VISA came through in time because he did the role of Chuck justice & also Blake Lively is the perfect Serena.

[edanderson]

Matthew Broderick also turned down the role of Alex Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties that made Michael J. Fox famous.