10. An American Actor Was Originally Cast As Harry Potter (And Replaced When Warner Bros. Found Out)
10-year-old American actor Liam Aiken was originally offered the part of Harry Potter, but this was then revoked just a day later when the filmmakers realised that he wasn't British. Aiken had previously worked with director Chris Columbus on Stepmom and was reportedly his favourite for the part, but as
word of the casting trickled down to the press, pressure no doubt mounted and the role eventually went to Daniel Radcliffe. It's heartbreaking for Aiken, who must have been over the moon for 24 hours before having his hopes dashed, because he hasn't really starred in a whole lot since, and this would have made him a household name overnight. Aiken said of the experience, "I flew to England, and a week later I had the role. Then the next day, I didn't. But I understood; like James Bond, Harry has to be British." Still, casting an American as Potter is just stupid, and it seems silly that they would've picked him without realising his nationality first, unless Columbus was foolishly trying to sneak this one by the producers.