Thursday, July 18, 2024

25 Iconic Roles That Can Never Be Played by Anyone Else

We've all seen movies where, if we try to picture someone else playing that role, it just doesn't or won't work out. According to poptier.com, here are 25 iconic roles that won't work with anyone else.

I've also included fun facts you may or may not have known about either that film or the actor / actress mentioned

1. Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones

-It felt like a sign. Harrison Ford playing the archaeologist we all know and love. It's near impossible to imagine anyone else playing this sarcastic, but loveable character

-Fun fact: During filming of Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom, he scared director Steven Spielberg by running across the rope bridge to test its safety. He did this without warning

2. Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter

-No one else could have been better at this character than Anthony Hopkins. He has a chillingly calm manner in which he speaks, it's almost impossible to believe his character actually did the crimes he was accused of. No one else could have done this role

-Fun fact: He is proud of the improvisational touches he added to the role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter. This can be seen in the part where he mocks Jodie Foster's character Clarice Starling's West Virginia accent, his use of the word "chianti" and the disturbing slurping sound he made after he talked about eating the census-taker. He also never blinked when he spoke

3. Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight

-This version of The Joker is closer to the actual comic book version than the Jack Nicholson version. Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker adds chaos, anarchy and downright psychosis into his character. He created a version of The Joker that no one else can outdo

-Fun fact: Heath Ledger took this role instead of playing the male lead role in Baz Luhrmann's pre-WWII 2008 film Australia. The male lead role went to Hugh Jackman instead

4. Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley in the Alien series

-Sigourney Weaver playing Ellen Ripley redefined the idea of female action hero. She combines strength and vulnerability into a character that has inspired other female action heroes

-Fun fact: The role of Ellen Ripley inspired the video game heroine Samus Aran in Metroid

5. Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean series

-He's eccentric, charming, loveable. Johnny Depp brought this character in to pop culture, where he remains a popular character. Johnny Depp made Captain Jack Sparrow an iconic Disney character that you can't help but love

-Fun fact: He based Captain Jack Sparrow on both Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards and Looney Tunes character Pepe Le Pew

6. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in the X-Men series

-Hugh Jackman took this role and made it a defining role in his career. He took the character, who was a mutant with deadly sharp claws, and added vulnerability and strong intensity, along with a bit of sarcasm and made it one of his best known roles

-Fun fact: He underwent extremely physical training for each of the times in which he's played Wolverine. When he is in peak condition, he can bench press more than 300 pounds

7. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind

-Vivien Leigh took the role of Scarlet O'Hara and made it unique. This character is now well entrenched into popular culture, so much so that if someone else tried to do the role, it simply wouldn't work

-Fun fact: She was obsessed with hiding her large hands in gloves. She owned more than 150 pairs of gloves and in the original story of Gone with the Wind, her character, Scarlet O'Hara, is described as having small hands

8. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark aka Iron Man

-Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark is a unique one. He's sarcastic and even arrogant, but you couldn't imagine anyone else playing him. Robert Downey Jr. makes the role of billionaire tech magnate Tony Stark loveable and iconic

-Fun fact: For the 2008 Japanese premier of Iron Man, he ran into trouble with Japanese authorities for failing to disclose his incredible criminal record. When they ran his passport, they discovered numerous times in prison and arrests for criminal activity. He was sentenced to six hours of interrogation and was almost barred from the country. Authorities allowed him entry into Japan just the one time for the premier, but to this day, he barred from entering Japan

9. Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln

-Whoever had chosen Daniel Day-Lewis to portray Abraham Lincoln deserves a promotion. Day-Lewis' performance as the former president was unforgettable. He had Lincoln's mannerisms down perfect and, with a little help from the makeup department, he looked just like the former president

-Fun fact: At the 2012 premier of Lincoln, he used the premier to bring awareness to the Wicklow Hospice Foundation and also use it as a fundraiser

10. James Earl Jones as the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars series

-The deep, almost booming voice you hear as the voice of Darth Vader is thanks to James Earl Jones. The deep voice seemed almost perfectly suited for this role, giving it a slightly sinister feel. That deep voice will be forever tattooed into the minds of every Star Wars fan for eternity. So much so that trying to imagine any other voice would be impossible

-Fun fact: George Lucas had in mind to use famed author Orson Welles as the voice of Darth Vader. Since Welles was too well known, he used an actor with a deep voice similar to Welles, which is how James Earl Jones got the role of Darth Vader

11. Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada

-Miranda Priestly is the character played by Meryl Streep. She added not only intimidation, but also sophistication to the fashion editor role. It's one of Streep's best known roles

-Fun fact: She kept the sunglasses she used in this movie and used them during a scene in the film Mamma Mia!

12. Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's

-She was charming and graceful, with unique fashion to add in. Audrey Hepburn's role as Holly Golightly was incredibly iconic. She became associated with style, charm and sophistication

-Fun fact: The black dress she wore in this film was designed by Hubert de Givenchy. It was auctioned off and sold at a Christie's auction house for $920,000

13. Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones series

-Renee Zellweger took the role of Bridget Jones and made her a person actual women could relate to. That's often hard to do. She took this role and made Bridget a charming, funny woman who other women could actually relate to

-Fun fact: She put on 20 pounds for her role in Bridget Jones's Diary

14. Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in the Harry Potter series

-Daniel Radcliffe will forever be known for the role of The Boy Who Lived. He's become so well known for this role that it's near impossible to imagine anyone else playing the role

-Fun fact: After finding he was cast as Harry Potter, filmmakers wanted him to use contacts, giving him the appearance of having green eyes because the character in the story had green eyes. Unfortunately, the contacts caused a painful allergic reaction. Then it was suggested altering his eye color digitally, but it would have been too much work. Filmmakers finally approached J.K. Rowling and told her their problem. She said it was no problem that Daniel didn't have green eyes, only that he had his mother's eyes. This was a relief to everyone involved

15. Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in The Godfather

-This is one of the most iconic roles in all of movie history. His deep, raspy voice is well known. Brando's role as the patriarch of the Corleone family is definitely well known. His slow and deliberate manner of speaking can't be replicated by anyone else

-Fun fact: Shortly before he died in 2004, he gave the video game company EA Games permission to use his voice for his character Don Vito Corleone for their video game The Godfather (2006)

16. Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump

-This role just goes to show how good of an actor Tom Hanks is. He can take any role and bring it to life with drama, hilarious comedy that brings tears to your eyes from laughing so hard or times when you cry with sadness. Forrest Gump is a role that shows Tom Hanks playing an innocent and kind hearted man who is a bit slow, but still well meaning in his intentions

-Fun fact: In the movie, his daughter Elizabeth Hanks plays the girl on the bus who refuses to let Forrest Gump sit next to her

17. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music

-Julie Andrews playing Maria, with her excellent singing and excellent acting skills, have made this one of pop culture's most loved films. If anyone else tried this, they may come close, but they won't outdo Julie Andrews

-Fun fact: For her role of Maria in The Sound of Music, she had learned to play guitar

18. Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz

-The film couldn't have been what it was without Judy Garland. She not only had the right age range for the role of Dorothy Gale, but also she had the right singing and acting for it. She had the wide-eyed girl from Kansas role down perfectly. So much so that she's become part of popular culture to this day

-Fun fact: Mary Ann on the TV show Gilligan's Island was inspired by Judy Garland's role of Dorothy Gale

19. Christopher Reeve as Superman in the Superman series

-This is one of Christopher Reeve's best known roles. He brought the iconic superhero to the big screen and made him strong, but sincere, and willing to help those in need. All other actors who have played the Man of Steel have come close, but no one will outdo Christopher Reeve

-Fun fact: He was only 24 when he was cast as the Man of Steel, making him the youngest actor to ever play Superman

20. Jamie Lee Curtis in the Halloween series

-Jamie Lee Curtis redefined the idea of "scream queen" of the horror movie world. As Laurie Strode, she set a standard for all female leads in horror movies to go by

-Fun fact: She has played the role of Laurie Strode in six of the Halloween movies in the series

21. Al Pacino as Scarface

-Al Pacino's role as the iconic Cuban refugee-turned-cocaine king Tony Montana remains firmly entrenched in popular culture to this day. He took the role and made Tony Montana a larger than life character who would stop at nothing to be at the top

-Fun fact: In the scene where Tony Montana tries on Elvira's hat, that was ad libbed. Michelle Pfeiffer's reaction was real



22. Robin Williams as the Genie in Aladdin

-The energy and improvisation Robin Williams is known for was unleashed when he got the role of the Genie. He brought the character to the forefront of Aladdin in such a way that no one could outdo the comedic genius of

-Fun fact: Robin Williams improvised so many lines he almost sixteen hours of material to work with

23. Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca

-The Swedish-born actress took the role of Ilsa Lund in Casablanca and made it a role no one else could play. The emotions she showed, along with her unique beauty, made this role an iconic one. If this movie were to be remade using today's technology, it wouldn't even come close to the success and perfection of this movie

-Fun fact: Many of the actors who played the Nazis in the film were played by actual European Jews who had fled Nazi Europe

24. Clark Gable as Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind

-Clark Gable took the role of Rhett Butler and made it his own. He redefined the idea of the male film hero. He added a touch of sarcasm and humor to the role and with his charisma and success with Vivien Leigh on set, he made Rhett Butler a hero anyone who has seen the movie would love

-Fun fact: During the scene where Rhett is pouring Mammy a drink to celebrate the birth of her daughter Bonnie, Clark Gable played a practical joke. Instead of tea, he poured alcohol into the decanter without telling Hattie McDaniel. When she took a drink, he quickly found out it was not tea

25. Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor in the Terminator series

-Resilience and determination are two words to describe the iconic character Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton in the Terminator series. Starting out as a vulnerable waitress and transformed into a tough as nails warrior, she set a new standard for female action heroines that is hard to beat

-Fun fact: While filming Terminator 2: Judgement Day, she suffered permanent hearing damage in one of her ears as a result of firing a gun in an elevator without her ear plugs

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