- James Van Der Beek, Dawson’s Creek, TV, 1998-2003. Vancouver’s Jackson was first seen by creator Kevin Williamson for Dawson Leery – before being turned into Pacey Witter for the full 128 episodes – opposite his then lover, Katie Holmes, the future Mrs Tom Cruise. By chance, Van Der Beek’s Dutch surname means… from the creek.
- Heath Ledger, The Patriot, 1999. After Braveheart, Mel Gibson tackles ther American Revolutionary War… sans slavery! Ledger, Jackson, Gyllenhaal, Ryan Phillippe, Freddie Prinz Jr, Brad Renfro, Paul Walker and Elijah Wood were seen for Gibson’s eldest son. Fed up with only being teenage beefcake, Ledger was about to quit acting and return down-under when he won Gabriel.
- James Van Der Beek, Varsity Blues, 1998. Jackson lost Mox (yes, Mox !) to his Dawson’s Creek co-star. Never mind : he following year, Joshua beat James to the lead in The Skulls.
- Hayden Christensen, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, 2000.
- James Van Der Beek, Texas Rangers, 2001. One Dawson’s Creek survivor for another in the story of the founding of the Rangers. Orginally due as a Sam Peckinpah movie.
- Ashton Kutcher, The Butterlfy Effect, 2003. Like Josh Hartnett and Sean William Scott,the young Canadian made by Dawson’s Creeek, TV, 1998-2003, also refused to be Evan Treborn – suffering blackouts during significant events of his life – in the “most widely read unproduced” script. Nothing happened to it until Kutcher (ofall people!) decided to produce… and star. (Not as bad as it first sounded). At 11, Logan Lerman was Evan at age seven.
- Christian Bale, Batman Begins, 2004.
- Oliver James, Raise Your Voice, 2004. All change! Jackson and Evan Rachel Wood were first selected for the mini-Fame. Then, her (a) screen mother, (b) the director and (c) the setting changed. Oh, and (d) the title!
- Jake Gyllenhaal, Jarhead, 2005. Also seen by UK director Sam Mendes for Anthony Swofford, the Desert Storm grunt who wrote about never even firing his weapon: Christian Bale, Josh Hartnett, Emile Hirsch, Shane West and buddies Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire.
- Chris Pine, Star Trek, 2008.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 10