- Kristen Stewart, Snow White and the Huntsman, 2011. For the first of two revisionist Ms Whites that year, Canadian director David Cronenberg’s Toro to find for A Dangerous Method and Cosmopolis succumbed to Stewart’s Twilight clout. As did Emily Browning, Dakota Fanning, Selena Gomez, Bella Heathcote, Felicity Jones, Riley Keough, Saoirse Ronan, Alicia Vikander… and Elvis Presley’s grand-daughter Riley Keough.
- Ruth Wilson, The Lone Ranger, 2012. Jessica Chastain, Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough were also run up the totem pole to be Rebecca Reid opposite the lone Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp’s Tonto. Not to mention the horse – Hi Ho Silver!
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Scarlett Johansson, Hitchcock, 2012. Thirty-two years after his death, Alfred Hitchcock’s back in business! With two films headlined by UK actors (Anthony Hopkins, Toby Jones) in bad impressions and fat suits. This is the first before the cameras – Hopkins making Psycho. And telling Scarlett’s Janet Leigh: “You can call me Hitch. Hold the cock.” As Janet Leigh was just two years older than the dowdier Vera Miles (played by Jessica Biel), most actresses were up for either role…
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Jessic Biel, Hitchcock, 2012. .. the candidates included Dianna Agron, Camilla Belle, Abbie Cornish, Emilie de Ravin, Natalie Dormer, Sarah Gadon, Ashley Greene, Kate Mara, Brit Marling, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chloe Sevigny, Mary Elizabeth Winstead., Reese Witherspoon, Evan Rachel Wood… plus Jessica Biel (chosen for Vera Miles) and January Jones, who was also up for the role of Tippi Hedren in the Hitch-making-The Birds TV drama, The Girl, seen first in October 2012. (Timothy Spall was booked as her Hitchcock, finally portrayed by Toby Jones opposite Sienna Miller).
- Jessica Brown Findlay, Winter’s Tale, 2013. Also seen for the Manhattan heiress heroine of auteur Akiva Goldman’s reincarnation romance – with a flying white horse! – were Lily Collins of The Mortal Instruments franchise, Bella Dark Shadows’ Heathcote, Elizabeth Olsen (finally free from the Silent House) and Carrie’s Gabrielle Wilde. And the winner, was… Lady Sybil Branson of Downton Abbey.
- Alicia Vikander, The Man From UNCLE, 2013. She was in the mix for Guy Ritchie’s update of the 1964-1968 espionage lite series. So were… Gemma Arterton, Emilia Clarke, Alice Eve, Felicity Jones, Teresa Palmer, Mia Wasikowska. Director Steven Soderbergh quit in November 2011 when understanding Warner wanted a new franchise (like his Ocean’s 11 trilogy)… but didn’t want to pay for it! (Guy Ritchie showed ’em how).
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 6