10 Completely Insane Ways Film Actors Scored Famous Parts

6. Anna Paquin - The Piano

Star of X-Men and True Blood, Anna Paquin became the second-youngest ever Oscar winner when she picked up the Best Supporting Actress gong in 1994 at the age of 11 for her role in The Piano. It was her first acting job and it launched her career, but in an alternate universe, it could have never happened.

Casting directors held open auditions for a young girl aged between 9 and 13 to play the part of Flora, Ada's daughter. Holly Hunter, who would be playing Ada, was only 5ft 2in so the crew were looking for girl who would be a believable height; they saw 5,000 auditionees, including Paquin's sister, but Anna only turned up by chance.

She wasn't even there to audition, but managed to somehow win the part; her only previous acting experience was a TV commercial and playing a skunk in a school production. Paquin later claimed that she never actually wanted to be an actress when she was younger. "I wanted to be prime minister of New Zealand," she claimed. "Or, failing that, a lawyer."