20 Things You Didn't Know About Drive

17. Irene Was Originally An Hispanic Character

As impossible as it is to imagine anyone but Carey Mulligan in the role of the Driver's love interest Irene Gabriel, the part was initially intended for an entirely different type of actress.

According to Mulligan herself, the original script positioned Irene as a slightly older Hispanic woman named Irina, but after Mulligan nailed her audition and blew Refn away, he reconsidered the character.

It may have helped Mulligan's case that she was fresh off a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her performance in An Education, not to mention the fact that Refn's own wife loved that movie and suggested he cast her in the part.