15 Most Ridiculously Absurd Casting Calls Of The 21st Century

5. Cameron Diaz - Gangs Of New York (2002)

Gangs Of New York was inevitably set out to show the multi-cultural melting pot that was New York in America's great formative years and why that recipe was the perfect tinderbox for violence and crime. As such, it needed larger than life character actors like Daniel Day-Lewis and believable immigrant figures like Liam Neeson.

Sadly, Martin Scorsese also decided he needed genuine A-list star power for his leads and cast Leonardo DiCaprio (who wasn't terrible) and Cameron Diaz as Irish characters Amsterdam Vallon and Jenny Everdeane. DiCaprio got by, but Diaz was not Irish and the minute she opened her mouth the decision to cast her as an Irish native proved ridiculous.

Did It Work?

The film is great, but Diaz is one of the worst elements in there thanks to her horrific accent. It's so off-putting that it's almost enough to undo the goodwill built on the back of Day-Lewis' towering performance. She also feels notably uncomfortable, which is particularly jarring in a Scorsese movie: you'd expect his direction to be a rock of comfort for his stars.