Stars who missed out on iconic roles despite auditioning for them

Every career path has its fair share of rejection, and the world of acting is no stranger to it.

Just like any job hunt, Hollywood’s performers, in hopes for a breakthrough, often hear no before a ‘yes.’

Believe it or not, the truth is that many stars have lost roles that later became iconic to the fans to other actors.

Take a look below to see which of your favourite stars were turned down for roles that have now become unforgettable:

Jenna Ortega

Wednesday star Jenna Ortega’s love for Dune ran so deep that she auditioned for the film early on.

Talking to Buzzfeed Celeb, the 23-year-old actress shared, "I think I auditioned for Dune when I was about 15.”

“I remember just being a big fan of that film and the franchise and everything like that and being really excited for that interview because [director Denis Villeneuve] is one of my favorite filmmakers."

Now as we know, Zendaya took on the role that was kept a secret from fans for a long time.

“I think it was Chani, I think it was Zendaya’s, but they weren’t saying that, everything was very secret,” she recalled.

Jennifer Lawrence

In a surprising turn of events, The Hunger Games star had lost out on many roles she had auditioned for.

During her appearance on Howard Stern’s radio show, the 35-year-old actress opened up about auditioning for Alice in Wonderland, sharing, "The one thing that really killed me, like the only time I’ve ever been truly devastated by losing an audition was Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland."

But this wasn’t the only time she lost out on a role because as it turns out, Jennifer had also tried out the fan favourite film Twilight.

Speaking on The Rewatchables podcast, the No Hard Feelings actress revealed, "I auditioned for Twilight [and] they turned me down immediately."

"I didn’t even get a callback. But my life would’ve been totally different. I got Hunger Games a year later."

Emma Stone

In her Variety’s Actors on Actors chat with Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone revealed she was unable to land a role in 2010’s Alice in Wonderland.

“Oh, my God, when I auditioned for Alice in Wonderland and not getting a Tim Burton movie is really devastating,” she remarked.

Timothée Chalamet

Timothée Chalamet lost out a role to Tom Holland.

The 29-year-old American and French actor had admitted that he had auditioned for Spider-man Homecoming, but couldn’t secure the role.

“I went up for all these things, and tested for Spider-Man and I didn’t get it, and a Tim Burton movie, too, and these things weren’t happening," he said on Variety’s Actors on Actors.

Taylor Lautner

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl star Taylor Lautner, also known for his role as Jacob in the Twilight franchise, lost out an iconic role to Joe Jonas.

It seems like the Jonas Brothers weren’t the only ones competing for a role on the beloved Disney movie Camp Rock.

"Taylor Lautner auditioned, and we liked him a lot. I think we kind of said he wasn’t exactly right for the part," the movie’s director Matthew Diamond shared.