9 “Perfect” Casting Decisions That Went Horribly Wrong

The great actor Max Von Sydow once said that "there are casting directors with lots of imagination, but also some with not as much imagination." It's an observation that underpins the importance of casting and how the decisions made can make or break a film.

Once described as the "unsung heroes" of the movie business, casting directors have been responsible for some of cinema's most memorable characters. From Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence Of The Lambs to Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, classic movies and the iconic performances that define them came about thanks to these perfect casting decisions.

But it doesn't always work out for the best, and a seemingly perfect role can turn into something truly, embarrassingly awful. Sometimes this happens when the actor inexplicably drops the ball, but it doesn't always have to be their fault, and "creative influences" outside of their control can be enough to derail their performance. Whatever the cause, perfection in casting isn't always a guarantee of perfection in execution...