6. Tom Cruise - Lestat - Interview With The Vampire (1994)
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Tom Cruise's then controversial casting as vampire Lestat in the movie adaptation of Anne Rice's Interview With The Vampire was that Rice herself was horribly dissatisfied with the decision. In the books, Lestat is six feet tall with "blazing blonde hair," and as you know, Tom Cruise is not that. Fans of the novel rallied behind Rice as a result... until the movie came out, and everybody stopped yelling. Yes, the woman who previously told newspapers that "Cruise no more my vampire Lestat than Edward G. Robinson is Rhett Butler" suddenly found herself lost for words, and eventually went on to call the actor's performance in the movie "great." Which paved the way for fans to, like, echo those comments, of course. But Cruise's casting here became bonafide proof that looks don't mean a thing - it's all about intensity and dedication.