Jason Biggs arsenic Ted Mosby connected How I Met Your Mother

"I was offered the relation and it's astir apt my biggest regret, you know, connected passing," the American Pie alum revealed successful a 2021 SiriusXM interview. "I deliberation I was successful a signifier of, astatine the time—it sounds truthful obnoxious to accidental close now—but astatine the clip it was like, 'Okay, bash I privation to bash TV?' I don't cognize that I was rather acceptable to spell that route."

Alden Ehrenreich arsenic Dan connected Gossip Girl

Casting manager David Rapaport told EW, "Before Penn was involved, I desperately wanted Alden Ehrenreich to play Dan," but producers thought the 5-foot-9 actor was excessively abbreviated to play the relation of Blake Lively's emotion interest. So the relation went to Penn Badgley, who is conscionable astir the aforesaid tallness arsenic Ehrenreich, according to the internet. 

Rob Lowe arsenic Derek Shepherd connected Grey's Anatomy

Lowe revealed that helium turned down the relation of McDreamy successful his 2014 memoir, and it came backmost up successful an occurrence of Marc Maron's podcast. "That's astir apt outgo maine $70 million," helium joked. "Eh, it's conscionable money." Lowe says helium watched the aviator erstwhile it came out, "and erstwhile they started calling the handsome doc 'McDreamy,' I was like, 'yeah, that's not for me.'" 

Benedict Cumberbatch arsenic Bill Compton connected True Blood

Sherlock and Doctor Strange prima Benedict Cumberbatch auditioned for the relation of vampire Bill Compton backmost successful the day. Stephen Moyer went connected to onshore the part.

Jessica Chastain arsenic Sookie Stackhouse connected True Blood

Before she was an Oscar nominee, Jessica Chastain work for the relation of Sookie Stackhouse. The portion yet went to Anna Paquin.

Jennifer Lawrence arsenic Crystal Norris connected True Blood

A 17-year-old Jennifer Lawrence work for the portion of werepanther Crystal Norris, and astir got the part, but her property played a origin successful the portion going to different actress. Lindsay Pulsipher landed the gig.

Tiffani Thiessen arsenic Rachel connected Friends

Saved By the Bell and Beverly Hills, 90210 seasoned Tiffani Thiessen said she auditioned for the portion of Rachel connected Friends, but she was excessively young for the role.

Katherine Langford arsenic Betty Cooper connected Riverdale

Katherine Heigl arsenic Jen Lindley connected Dawson's Creek

It's hard to ideate anyone other playing Capeside's nonmigratory NYC transplant, but arsenic creator Kevin Williamson revealed to Entertainment Weekly, the relation of Jen astir went to aboriginal Grey's Anatomy prima Katherine Heigl, acknowledgment to aviator manager Steve Miner, who brought the prima of his 1994 movie My Father the Hero to Williamson's attention. "She looked somewhat older astatine that time. Even though she was younger, I conscionable deliberation she was much mature," Williamson recalled. "She gave a large audition, I retrieve we were each benignant of like, ‘Wow, she's good.'"

Selma Blair arsenic Joey Potter connected Dawson's Creek

The relation of Dawson Leery's lovesick BFF Joey Potter turned Katie Holmes into a star, but the part astir wasn't hers. As creator Kevin Williamson admitted to Entertainment Weekly, the relation was Selma Blair's to yet lose. "I truly loved Selma until, of course, I got the infamous videotape from the basement of the Holmes household successful Toledo, Ohio,"he said of Holmes' last-minute audition. "And erstwhile that video showed up, it changed my full life."

Lisa Edelstein arsenic Carrie Bradshaw successful Sex and the City

The House and Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce histrion was truthful adjacent to taking connected the iconic relation of Carrie Bradshaw that she adjacent had a completed contract. In the end, however, she was conscionable the back-up to the producers' archetypal choice, Sarah Jessica Parker. "I was either going to bash it oregon not. It each depended connected whether she said yes," Edelstein said. "My declaration was complete. I was waiting." While we conflict to imagine a satellite successful which SJP is not Carrie Bradshaw, Edelstein really makes a batch of sense. 

Ashley Olsen arsenic Serena van der Woodsen connected Gossip Girl

Initially, The CW wanted Ashley Olsen arsenic our favourite beauteous blonde Upper East Sider, casting manager David Rapaport told Buzzfeed, but helium lone had eyes for Lively. "I was terrified we wouldn't get her oregon they wouldn't similar her because, honestly, the amusement lived and died connected her and I had perfectly nary different ideas," helium said.

Rumer Willis arsenic Blair Waldorf connected Gossip Girl

The CW wanted aboriginal Dancing With the Stars champion Rumer Willis arsenic the Gossip Girl lead, but casting manager Rapaport knew she wasn't close for the relation (and would yet formed her connected 90210). "I emotion Rumer," helium told Buzzfeed. "She's grown into rather an astonishing histrion and person, but that, to me, was based connected protecting the concern of a tv amusement wherever creatively, these lesser-known girls truly captured the essence of the amusement and carried it for six years."

Keke Palmer arsenic Iris West connected The Flash

Before Keke Palmer was formed connected Fox's hilarious fearfulness drama Scream Queens, she was successful the moving to play Iris West connected The Flash, a relation that yet went to Candice Patton. "We had seen Candice initially, but I deliberation we were excessively aboriginal connected successful the process to formed her truthful we ended up investigating Keke Palmer and this different girl, but they felt a small excessively young adjacent to Grant [Gustin]," casting manager David Rapaport told Buzzfeed. When helium brought Candice back, "it was magic."

Iwan Rheon arsenic Jon Snow connected Game of Thrones

Iwan Rheon told The Telegraph that erstwhile the Game of Thrones aviator was being cast, helium made it to the last 2 for the relation of Jon Snow. Of course, Rheon went connected to play Ramsay Snow, a.k.a. play 5's astir hated character, portion Kit Harington cemented a spot successful our hearts arsenic Jon. We can't adjacent carnivore to ideate it immoderate differently, truthful we conscionable won't. 

Chris Pratt arsenic Chuck connected Chuck

After moving with the Guardians of the Galaxy prima connected the last play of The O.C., Josh Schwartz revealed Pratt was his archetypal prime for the relation that yet went to Zachary Levi. "He was the archetypal feline I wanted to play 'Chuck'. But arsenic destiny would person it, helium was destined to defender the galaxy, not the Buy More," Schwartz revealed. "And mightiness I add, couldn't hap to a nicer guy."

Katie Holmes arsenic Piper connected Orange Is the New Black

The Dawson's Creek seasoned met with Orange Is the New Black creator Jenji Kohan aboriginal successful the show's development, Kohan revealed. Holmes, who is an admitted instrumentality of the series, had "other things to do," Kohan told E! News. "And besides successful the opening nary 1 knew what this was."

Cobie Smulders arsenic Kate connected Lost

Helen Hunt, Ashley Judd arsenic Alicia connected The Good Wife

Everybody knows The Good Wife is Julianna Margulies' show, but that astir wasn't the case. The Emmy victor revealed the workplace wanted Ashley Judd and Helen Hunt before she got the gig.

Katie Holmes arsenic Buffy connected Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Hard to ideate anyone other hunting down vampires successful Sunnydale, but the ex-Mrs. Cruise astir had the rubric relation successful the WB series. Holmes turned it down to spell to precocious school, and Sarah Michelle Gellar was cast.

Lorraine Bracco arsenic Carmela Soprano connected The Sopranos

The relation that yet went to Edie Falco was primitively offered to Lorraine Bracco, but the Oscar nominee said she had already done that portion successful Goodfellas and wanted to effort her manus astatine thing new.

Taraji P. Henson arsenic Olivia Pope connected Scandal

Before she was breaking records connected Fox's Empire, Taraji P. Henson revealed she auditioned to beryllium Scandal's eventual fixer, Olivia Pope. "When I went successful to work for Shonda Rhimes, successful my caput I was like, 'This is Kerry Washington. Why americium I adjacent successful here?'" she said. "It was hers."

Gillian Anderson arsenic Lady Cora connected Downton Abbey

Ashlee Simpson arsenic Elena connected The Vampire Diaries

It's hard to ideate anyone other playing Elena Gilbert connected the CW deed series, but the singer-actress was the network's archetypal choice. It wasn't until the producers took a 2nd look astatine Nina Dobrev's audition portion that they decided to spell with the Bulgarian beauty.

Whitney Houston arsenic Sondra connected The Cosby Show

The legendary vocalist was offered the pb relation successful Bill Cosby-led series, but passed to prosecute her euphony career.

Dana Delany arsenic Carrie connected Sex and the City

To Sex and the City fans, Sarah Jessica Parker is Carrie Bradshaw, but erstwhile upon a time, Dana Delany was offered the relation of the New York columnist. The Emmy-winner passed due to the fact that she had already done multiple projects involving x-rated worldly (Nude Girls, Exit to Eden) and didn't privation to beryllium progressive with a task that had "sex" successful the title.

Paul Schaffer arsenic George connected Seinfeld

David Letterman's bandleader was offered the relation by Jerry Seinfeld without an audition, but Shaffer ne'er called him back.

Thomas Jane arsenic Don connected Mad Men

AMC wanted Jane arsenic Don Draper, but Jon Hamm said during a podcast that Jane passed due to the fact that helium didn't privation to beryllium connected a tv show. Of course, helium would spell connected to prima successful HBO's Hung.

Ryan Reynolds arsenic Xander connected Buffy the Vampire Slayer

2010's Sexiest Man Alive could person been portion of the Joss Whedon crew, but helium passed connected the relation of Xander. "I emotion that amusement and I loved Joss Whedon," helium told The Toronto Star successful 2008. "But my biggest interest was that I didn't privation to play a feline successful precocious school."