- Miranda Richardson, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2004. A London favourite since her frosty villain opposite 007 – Die Another Day, 2002, at 21 “and quaking inside” – she’d much rather be Jane Bennet in Pride & Prejudice, during which she fell in love with director Joe Wright. They got engaged in September 2007 and he cancelled their wedding in June 2008. Harry‘s director Mike Newell preferred the older Richardson as The Daily Prophet journalist Rita Skeeter – in the fourth of eight movies from JK Rowling’s books.
- January Jones, X-Men: First Class, 2010. The British Alice Eve won the telepathic Emma Frost, but could not make a deal. Another cool UK blonde, Rosamund Pike entered the frame with Australia’s auteur-actressTahyna MacManus – hoping to reprise her Emma from X-Men Origins: Wolverine, 2008. A third UK blonde, Sarah Harding, won three call-backs, Brit director Matthew Vaiughn settled for South Dakota’s Jones. Pike had a second offer…
- Rose Byrne, X-Men: First Class, 2010. Pike was also on Matthew Vaughn’s short list for Maggie McTaggart. But the Hollywood suits complained there were already too many Brits involved. As if there is such a thing as too many Brtits in a y movie. “Moira is a woman in a man’s world,” Byrne told Moveiline in 2012, “she’s very feisty and ambitious [with] a toughness about her which I liked”
- Rachael Stirling, Women InLove, TV, 2010. The BBC saw her as the liberated Ursula Brangwen but Rosamund was interested onlyb in Gudrun. “People criticise Gudrun for being cold and I’ve been criticised for that. She uses coldness as a front to protect her intense vulnerability.I felt I have to play her because I know what that feel likes.” Pus she’d always wanted an old Glenda Jackson role.
- Hayley Atwell, Captain America: The First Avenger, 2010. Peggy Carter changed about as often as the directors of this fifth screen incarnation of the heroic Steve Rogers… and his main squeeze. Also missing the nine-picture deal for Cap Am sequels, Avengers movies and cross-overs were… Gemma Arterton, Emily Blunt, Alexa Davalos, Alice Eve, Keira Knightley. And Pike, who became a right pain in Davalos’ pleasant posterior – winning the next two consecutive roles they were up for: Wrath of the Titans and Jack Reacher, 2011.
- Olivia Wilde, The Words, 2011. The oh-so-cool Brit tried out for Danielle – a zero role alongside Dennis Quaid, apparently designed to give the other players – Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Zoë Saldana some time to suck air.
- Nicole Kidman, Grace of Monaco, 2012. Also in the mix to play Grace Kelly were: Amy Adams, Elizabeth Banks, Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain, Kate Hudson, January Jones, Gwyneth Paltrow, Charlize Theron, Reese Witherspoon.. But not Christina Applegate, the young Grace on TV in 1983 when Cheryl Ladd was the older. None of them resembled Her Serene Highness, but then nor did Tim Roth look like Prince Rainier.
- Margot Robbie, Focus, 2014. First, Kristen Stewart and Emma Stone passed, then Pike, Jessica Biel, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, Olivia Munn, Michelle Williams were assessed for Jess, the beauty being coached in grifting techniques by an adoring Will Smith. Robbie was on holiday on a Croatian island when called to an New York audition. She packed in 20 minutes, and by catamaran, bus, two planes (waiting six hours for each), losing her luggage at JFK and wearing only denim shorts, shirt and no make-up, she got to the audition on time. Smith did not. “Hey, I was coming from Queens.” “Yeah?” snapped Robbie, “Well, I just came from an island off Croatia and I’m here on time.” She reckoned that outburst won her the movie.
- Lily James,The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, 2017. Has to be British with a title like that… Candidates for the Juliet Ashton inlcuded Michelle Dockery and Rebecca Ferguson – and Kate Winslet when Kenneth Branagh was due to direct. Kate was replaced by Rosamund Pike, who quit during more production delays. As well as Lily James, director Mike Newell used other actoers – and one location – from Downton Abbey.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 9