10 Craziest Reasons Actors Were Rejected For Movie Roles

For a time it felt as though any producer on planet Earth would've jumped at the chance to throw all-round acting legend Robin Williams into one of their features, with the star being as comfortable in a crowd-pleasing comedy escapade as he was holding down an Oscar-baiting slice of drama. Yet, when it came to one particularly exciting movie franchise, Williams was pretty low on the list of potential candidates for one rather frustrating reason.

When putting together the truly mesmerising collection of acting sensations who filled out the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the casting directors and director Chris Columbus only really had one golden rule that could not be broken - everyone had to be British.

Now, sure, this undoubtedly gave the series an authentically British feel which is most definitely what you sign up for when locking into the Potter-verse for a few hours. But seeing the late Williams nail it as Hagrid or Remus Lupin, the two roles he had his eyes on, would've absolutely justified this one bending of the rules.

Thankfully, Robbie Coltrane and David Thewlis both more than smashed it in their respective roles, so this revelation only stings a little upon a revisit.