10 Completely Insane Ways Film Actors Scored Famous Parts

10. Thomas Turgoose - This Is England

Just like Star Wars, director Shane Meadows held open auditions, looking for actors to star in his movie. Unlike Star Wars, Meadows was after a young Grimsby lad to evoke the spirit of the 1980s skinhead subculture.

Thomas Turgoose was a 13-year-old novice, banned from his school play thanks to bad behaviour. This was one hell of an opportunity for him to act, but instead of jumping at the chance, Turgoose demanded £5 just for his presence at the audition. It was this cheeky, down-to-earth attitude that impressed Meadows, who cast him in the lead of his movie, despite his complete lack of experience in acting.

The brilliance of casting Turgoose was that he really was a tearaway; he'd been kicked out of classes at school, and his football team. "I think Shane just saw himself in me," Turgoose claimed three years later. "He says to me now that that's exactly what he would have been like: asking for money."