10 Things You Didn't Know About Alden Ehrenreich
7. He Was Initially Rejected For Hail, Caesar! (And Begged Multiple Times For An Audition)
For many people, their first experience with Alden Ehrenreich was in the Coen brothers 2016 comedy Hail, Caesar! In the film, Ehrenreich plays Hobie Doyle, a “singing cowboy” actor who is forced by necessity to act in a classic, European drama (to varying degrees of success).
In a film with such a prestigious cast (including George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Ralph Fiennes and Tilda Swinton) Ehrenreich manages to be one of the stand-outs, capturing the spirit of the Hollywood western star remarkably well (and providing some of the movie's biggest laughs).
What's interesting, then, is that when Ehrenreich initially attempted to audition, he was told he wasn't right for the part. But so eager was he for the role that he asked again for an audition.
This second attempt was brushed off, too – he was told he could “make a tape” to send and nothing more. Knowing this would likely never be seen by the Coens, a third time Alden pleaded for an audition. Finally the casting director relented, and following a reading he was allowed to audition for the Coens.