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19 Movie Roles That Should Never Be Recast, Because The Original Actors Were So Perfect
Don’t even think about it, Hollywood.
Look, there are some actors who go beyond just PLAYING a character. Instead, they BECOME the character.
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Well, recently redditor Haggerstonian asked, “Which actor portrayed a character so well, no other actor could ever replace them?” and it really highlighted how incredible some of these performances are! “Irreplaceable,” in fact!
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Tap to play or pause GIF
So with that in mind, here are just a few of the actors whose character portrayals could, 100%, never be topped:
1.
J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man trilogy
Sony Pictures
“A role so nice, they cast him twice!”
2.
Will Smith as Agent J in Men in Black (1999)
Sony Pictures
“No one could have played that role as perfectly as he did.”
3.
Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Warner Bros.
“She played it so well and we all hated her so much.”
4.
Tim Curry as Dr. Frankenfurter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
5.
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters in Hocus Pocus (1993)
6.
R. Lee Ermey as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket (1987)
7.
Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride (1987)
20th Century Fox
“Also, Andre the Giant as Fezzik. Also, Cary Elwes as Westley. Also, the whole cast of that movie…”
8.
Samuel L. Jackson as Jules in Pulp Fiction (1994)
9.
Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes in Misery (1990)
10.
Martin Freeman AND Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings trilogy
Warner Bros.
“They’re both perfect for that single role, and Freeman looks EXACTLY like a younger Holm.”
11.
Tom Hiddleston as Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Marvel Studios
“No one on here is admitting that no one could ever live up to that performance!”
12.
Robert England as Freddy Krueger in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise
New Line Cinema
“He is the only one who can play that character. Sorry to whoever played him in the remake, but you didn’t stand a chance.”
13.
Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins (1964)
Buena Vista Distribution
“In the recent sequel (Marry Poppins Returns), I just couldn’t let go of the fact that it wasn’t the same person. While the sequel was still good, Andrews is what made the original amazing. To be fair, though, I also just love Julie Andrews.”
14.
Danny Glover as Albert in The Color Purple (1985)
Warner Bros.
“For YEARS, I hated that man because of how well he played that role. I didn’t give a damn how many fun Lethal Weapons he did after that, to me he was always the sick bastard who abused Celie!”
15.
Robert Shaw as Quint in Jaws (1975)
Universal Pictures
“I don’t think anyone else could have pulled off that level of unhinged sadness without looking completely over-the-top.”
16.
Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen (2006)
Pathé Distribution
“Mirren played the Queen better than the Queen herself ever could.”
17.
John Cazale as Fredo in The Godfather trilogy
Paramount Pictures
“The obvious answer for some might be Al Pacino as Michael Corleone, but I think this is, perhaps, a better answer. I mean, the guy was in five movies — all of which were nominated for Best Picture. (In case you’re wondering: The Godfather 1 and 2, The Deer Hunter, Dog Day Afternoon, and The Conversation.) He was such a talent that we lost too soon to lung cancer.”
18.
Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley in Alien (1979)
20th Century Fox
“When you rewatch both Alien and Aliens, you realize how genuinely good and iconic she was!”
19.
And finally, Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa in Black Panther (2018)
Marvel Studios
“He was so great in every role he played, from Jackie Robinson to James Brown… the list goes on, but it’s not nearly long enough. The world lost him way too soon.”
Now it’s your turn! What’s one role that an actor portrayed so perfectly that they could NEVER be replaced? Share yours in the comments below!
Some responses were edited for length and/or clarity. H/T Reddit.
Source: 19 Movie Roles That Should Never Be Recast, Because The Original Actors Were So Perfect
