- Robert Pattinson, Twilight, 2008. “I don’t care to be famous.” Back home, burnt out, after seven months in Africa, “killing people” in the Generation Kill war series, handsome Lutz just didn’t want to know about author Stephanie Meyer’s vampire hero, Edward Cullen, thank you very much. “I’m taking a vacation,” he told his agent. “So I went back to Arizona, saw my mom and they got really pissed. Edward is too complex, too depressing for me.” His agents called back: What about Emmett?’ He re-read the script, Edward’s brother “seemed like one of those fun-loving characters that I love to play… Fame is fame and Rob is handling it like a champ.”
- Cam Gigandet, Burlesque, 2009. Four of the sexy Twilight lads were up for Jack in – surprise, surprise – Cher’s first (and indeed, last) musical. Cam won it from Lutz, Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson.
- Chris Evans, Captain America: The First Avenger, 2010.
The first screen version of the WWII propaganda comicbook hero – Defender of the Defenceless – since Republic’s 1944 serial (with Dick Purcell), two 1979 tele-quickies (Rep Brown) and the 1989 movie (Matt Salinger, son of the monumental JD, no less). A 1981 Universal plan for Jeff Bridges never flew. Nor did Cannon’s 1984 take which UK director Michael Winner never got around to casting (well, not out loud). In 2010, after five movies as Emmett in theTwilight franchise, Lutz was short-listed for almost every new role – including Steve Rogers, the super-serumed alter-ego of America’s symbol of liberty (from WWII to Obama) and one of Marvel’s superhero team, The AvengersAlso missing the nine-picture deal for Cap Am sequels, Avengersmovies and cross-overs were… Jensen Ackles, Wilson Bethel, Michael Cassidy, Dane Cook, Chace Crawford, Ryan, McPartlin, Johnny Pacar, Ryan Phillippe, Scott Porter, Alexander Skarsgård, Will Smith, Sebastian Stan (chosen for Bucky Barnes), Channing Tatum (in last three), Mike Vogel, Sam Worthington. Plus three of the TV-Marvelverse: Wilson Bethel (Daredevil), Chad Michael Murray (Agent Carter), Derek Theler (New Warriors). And Krasinski. “This is stupid,” he yelled during his costumed test, “I’m not Captain America!” And he wasn’t. But he was Amazon’s TV’s surprise Jack Ryan in 2018. - Jason Momoa, Conan The Babarian, 2010. Hey, one movie series is enough, right. The Twilight star longed to succeed Arnold Schwarzenegger as the re-booted Conan. “It’s something that I’ve been actively going after… because the script is great.” But the Honolulu-born guy from Stargate Atlantis proved better in the sword wielding area than the Emmett Cullen dude from the Twilight franchise.
- Jeremy Renner, The Bourne Legacy, 2011. Three was enough for Matt Damon. (Until 2015…!) The studio did not agree and kept the franchise alive by rebooting Jason Bourne as Aaron Cross – “There Was Never Just One.” But who to play him from 20 hopefuls- Erryn Arkin, Adam Brody, Dominic Cooper, Paul Dano, Luke Evans, Michael Fassbender, Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Hartnett, Garrett Hedlund, Oscar Isaac (he was made an Outcome super-agent), Taylor Kitsch, Shia LaBeouf, Kellan Lutz, Logan Marshall-Green, Alex Pettyfer, Michael Pitt and Benjamin Walker. Plus Joel Edgerton and Tobey Maguire, who were Great Gatsbying down-under. Renner, Hollywood’s new white hope since The Hurt Locker, 2009, was suggested for the Mission: Impossible.. if ever Tom Cruise retired.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 5