20 Actors Who Almost Starred In Your Favorite Horror Movies

16. Leonardo DiCaprio - Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)

In retrospect, Christian Bale was the perfect choice for the role of sociopath and serial killer Patrick Bateman in Mary Harron's adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho. With his physique, chiseled face, and his dedication it's difficult to picture the movie without Bale as the lead. But once upon a time, Leonardo DiCaprio was considered for the role of Bateman - after becoming the It boy in 1997 with Titanic, every studio in town had DiCaprio on their wishlist. Bale had already started working out to perfect his look for the film when he discovered Harron had handed over the reins to Oliver Stone and he had picked DiCaprio as his leading man. Bale explained what happened while speaking to WSJ Magazine:

"I just pretended it didn't happen. I'm English, so I never go to a gym, but for that role it was part of the whole deal that I had to go. I still kept going down to the gym every day because I was going, 'Oh, I'm making the film'. I would call Mary Harron - she'd be having a nice dinner with her family - and I'd go, 'So Mary, so when we do this scene...' And she'd go, 'Christian, Oliver Stone is directing, DiCaprio is playing your role.'"

Bale's perseverance paid off and the role did come back to him when Harron returned to the project as director. Needless to say, he didn't disappoint.