Sliding doors: iconic roles nearly played by others

Johnny Depp has taken a wry swipe at Barnaby Joyce.

'Ferris Bueller's Day Off': Johnny Depp turned down Matthew Broderick's defining character due to scheduling conflicts.

'Sex and the City': Dana Delany was originally offered the part of Carrie, but turned it down because she didn't want to be involved in such a raunchy project. Two decades later, Sarah Jessica Parker is very glad Delany said no.

'When Harry Met Sally': Could Tom Hanks have brought the same depth to the sometimes-hateable character of Harry that Billy Crystal eventually did?

'Breakfast at Tiffany's': The great Marilyn Monroe was advised not to take on the role of Holly Golightly in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' – her management thought it would be bad for her image to play a call girl.

'Mr and Mrs Smith': Nicole Kidman pulled out of the lead role in the spy drama, paving the way for Angelina Jolie to star in the hit (and find her future husband).

'Gladiator': Mel Gibson thought he was too old to play the role of Maximus in the film that eventually won Russell Crowe a best actor Oscar.

'Pirates of the Caribbean': This one may be hard to believe, but Jim Carrey was originally cast as Captain Jack Sparrow in 'Pirates', but had to withdraw because of shooting clashes with 'Bruce Almighty'.

'Forrest Gump': It's almost impossible to see John Travolta playing Tom Hanks' most famous part – but the 'Saturday Night Fever' star passed on the role of Forrest Gump in the '90s classic.

'Titanic': Claire Danes was offered the role of Rose, but turned it down because she'd just shot a drama opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Mexico: 'Romeo + Juliet'.

'Romeo + Juliet': Speaking of Baz Luhrmann's Shakespearean hit, Natalie Portman was originally considered for the role of Juliet, but at 13, the studio and director both decided she was too young to fall in love with a 21-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio.

'Bridget Jones' Diary': She may be the lynchpin of the entire series, but Renee Zellweger was not the first choice to play Bridget Jones. The role was offered to Toni Colette, who turned it down.

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