1. Sean Connery - Morpheus (The Matrix)
Morpheus is considered an extremely iconic character today because Laurence Fishburne played him so brilliantly. But consider that Fishburne might not have been cast as Neo's stoic mentor for a second and free your mind. Free your mind so much that you've actually gone insane, and now Sean Connery is standing in front of you wearing a leather jacket. Because the Scottish actor, known the world over because he was James Bond, was originally considered to play the role of Morpheus. Seriously. Imagine that for a few moments. Imagine how different
The Matrix might've been if it was Sean Connery who was facing off against Keanu Reeves in that dojo, saying things like "Stop trying to hit me and hit me." It'd almost be worth risking the integrity of the film we got, given we had the opportunity to go back in time and get Connery to sign on. So why didn't he agree to play Morpheus, you ask? Because it was a batshit crazy casting decision? Because then the character would have had to have been Scottish? Nope. In his own words, he just "didn't understand the script." Aw, Sean. What a nice moment of vulnerability.
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