- Lori Petty, Tank Girl, 1995. “I just like the fact that I had something personally to do with the Spice Girls.” director Rachel Talalay told the Den of Geek website. “We had these great open casting calls which were an absolute blast – and that’s where the Spice Girls first met. In London there was a three-hour wait… there were so many people and there was no time. But apparently two or three of the Spice Girls (Beckham, then Victoria Adams, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell) were in line next to each other and just said: Oh, fuck this – let’s go make a band!”
- Roz Ryan, Hercules, 1996. Mrs Becks was due as Thalia, the Muse of Comedy (aka The Short Muse), when The Spice Girls were up for voicing all five Muses in the Disney toon (stolen with Robin Williams/Aladdin bravura by James Woods as Hades). The 23-year older Ryan is a veteran singer, actress and voice-actor.
- Lucy Liu, Charlie’s Angels, 2000. Tele-tycoon Aaron Spelling decided to put Aaron’s angels on the big screen (to help generate a new series on the small). His first new trio: MTV discovery Jenny McCarthy, ex-Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and 007’s Hong Kong martial arts superstar. Then, Drew Barrymore showed him how to do it. with the third of her numerous (canny) productions. Just look at the 25 girls she shuffled to find the right angel Alex Munday: Aaliyah (“too young”), Jennifer Aniston, Asia Argento, Halle Berry, Lara Flynn Boyle, Helena Bonham Carter, Penélope Cruz, Kristin Davis, Jodie Foster, Angie Harmon (stuck on Law & Order), Salma Hayek, Ashley Judd, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nia Long, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tiffani Thiessen, Uma Thurman, Liv Tyler, , Kate Winslet, Reese Witherspoon, Robin Wright, Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones… And two singers: Lauryn Hill and another Spice Girl: Victoria Beckham.
- Angelina Jolie, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, 2001. For the girls, Lara Croft is their James Bond. Well, more of a sexy Indiana Jones. And 22 hopefuls wanted to bringther sassy, video-game adventurer to life. Demi More was, perhaps, the most keen, but who was simply disregarded. Christina Applegate, Drew Barrymore, Victoria Beckham, Sandra Bullock, Cameron Diaz, Nicole Eggert, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kate Hudson, Elizabeth Hurley, Ashley Judd, Jennifer Lopez, Gwneth Paltrow, Anna Nicole Smith (a joke, surely), Catherine Zeta-Jones were more serioiusly considered. Fairuza Balk, Natalie Cassidy, Kirsten Dunst and Milla Jovovich auditioned while Denise Richards, Charlize Theron, Uma Thurman and Liv Tyler simply refused. And Lara’s guy (who fled the sequel) was Daniel Craig – complete with a Walther PPK pistol that he would use again as 007 in Casino Royale, 2005.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Usual occupation: SingerCasting Calls: 4