14. Rosie O'Donnell & Robin Williams Were Nearly In The Philosopher's Stone
Alongside all the other craziness that nearly happened in the Harry Potter movies, both Rosie O'Donnell and Robin Williams wanted to have parts in the first movie, and were so eager to do so that they were happy to forego pay completely. O'Donnell wanted to play Ron Weasley's mother Molly (eventually played by Julie Walters), declaring her love for the Potter series in an interview, "I just think it's absolutely enchanting and I would love to be a part of it. I think it's going to go down in history as a 'Wizard Of Oz'-type epic for the next generation." Nothing is publicly known about which part Williams was after, but he also wanted in on the movie. Much like Barrymore, though, no matter the size of their roles, they would have stuck out immensely amid a mostly British cast, and frankly, did anyone really think O'Donnell could nail a British accent? It all worked out in the end, then.
Jack Pooley
Contributor
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
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