10 Actors Who Lost Roles For Insane Reasons
3. Real-Life War Hero Peter Butterworth "Didn't Look Heroic Enough" - The Wooden Horse
When the 1950 World War II film The Wooden Horse was being cast, actor Peter Butterworth - later known for his appearances in many Carry On films - auditioned to play one of the prisoners of war.
However, he was turned down for a role because the film's producers felt that he didn't look convincing or heroic enough.
Except, the both hilarious and sad truth is that Butterworth actually participated in the real-life prison escape that's depicted in the film.
Butterworth was a prisoner in the actual Polish POW camp Stalag Luft III, and helped cover for other prisoners as they made their daring escape.
And yet, despite having literally lived through the history depicted in the film, he was ironically deemed not heroic enough.
On the flip side, though, at Stalag Luft III Butterworth did meet Talbot Rothwell, who went on to write many of the Carry On films in which he ended up starring. Swings and roundabouts.