- Colin Farrell, Tigerland,1999. Two Dubliners tested as Bozz for director Joel Schumacher.One won. “Colin was the best choice for the role,” said Meyers.Years later.
- Henry Thomas, Gangs of New York, 2001. After 16 movies (because of a Knorr soup commercial), JRM was too busy for Martin Scorsese… But thenas the Irishman maintained: “I was always going to be different, and everyone knew it.”
- Leo Gregory, Perfect Creature, 2006. Other work prevented him being another villain after Woody Allen’s Match Point, 2005. Like, well, playing Elvis… supporting Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible III… and being TV’s thinnest ever Henry VIII.
- Max Minghella, Agora, Bulgaria-Malta-Spain, Spain, 2008. Spanish auteur Alejandro Amenábar wanted Sacha Baron Cohen and Jonathan Rhys Meyers as pupils of Rachel Weisz… as Hypatia, the remarkable astronomer, mathematician, philosopher and scientist in the Fourth Century Alexandria. SBC passed, calling the script “too prickly, and it would lift sores.” JRM followed. Rachel remained.
- Oscar Isaac, Agora, Spain, 2009. Spanish director Alejandro Amenábar won Rachel Weisz as Hypatia. However, Sacha Baron Cohen, as her father’s slave, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, as her student, churned into Max Minghella and Isaac.
- Malika Yoba, Awake, 2018. Remember the amnesiac thrillers Memento and Mirage.? Well, they got together and spawned this one. With JRM as the hero (after auditioning for Frank) as a suspected serial killer and Clint’s daughter, Francesca Eastwood, as a helpful nurse… This was the fourth Awake during 2005-2019, although this one was Wake Up before being Netflixed.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 5