20 Actors You Didn't Know Almost Played X-Men

16. Rachel Leigh Cook Was Almost Rogue

Before True Blood star Anna Paquin was ultimately cast as the power-stealing Rogue in the first X-Men movie, a host of young actresses were linked with the role, including two major, Oscar-winning stars (more of whom soon), Sarah Michelle Gellar and Katherine Isabelle, but it was Rachel Leigh Cook, fresh from her breakout role in She's All That and as part of the This Is Your Brain On Drugs commercial campaign, who was offered the role.

Ultimately, she turned the role down, citing that she thought there was too much CGI involved, which fits with her career trajectory around the time: after starring with Elijah Wood in 2000's The Bumblebee Flies Anyway, she starred in unfortunately flop Josie And The Pussycats, which lead to her focusing mostly on her work in independent films, earning the nickname of the next "Indie Queen".