In another life, ‘Twilight’ could have had a completely different cast. Today, the franchise is almost synonymous with Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, but before they became Edward and Bella, several actors tried their luck.
Then there were also a few stars whom Stephenie Meyer herself envisioned for these iconic roles. Here are 10 of the most unexpected faces we almost saw in the ‘Twilight’ franchise.
10. Tyler Posey
Stephenie Meyer actually pictured Tyler Posey as Jacob Black. He eventually read for the role and became one of the finalists. But Taylor Lautner ultimately won the part. Posey later admitted that he was glad Lautner got it, as he wasn’t ready for that amount of intense attention. However, playing a werewolf must have been his destiny since soon after he got the role of Scott McCall in ‘Teen Wolf’.
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9. Lucy Hale
The ‘Pretty Little Liars’ star was a huge fan of the books and apparently auditioned for the ‘Twilight’ franchise twice. First, for the bubbly Alice Cullen and later for the Volturi vampire Jane. Hale’s youthful, innocent presence certainly could have been a fit for Alice. But ultimately the role went to Ashley Greene. Whereas Dakota Fanning got the role of Jane.
8. Emily Browning
Stephenie Meyer’s first choice to play Bella Swan was Emily Browning, and she even named Browning her favourite casting choice. The role was offered to the actress, but she chose not to audition. Reportedly, at the time, Browning was reconsidering her acting career and didn’t want to commit to a trilogy.
7. Lily Collins
One of Lily Collins’ earliest auditions was for Bella Swan in ‘Twilight’. At the time, Collins was very new to the industry and remembered the audition as one of those particularly anxious experiences she often faced as a young actor. Though she missed out on playing Bella, Collins soon landed her own YA breakout role as Clary Fray in ‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones’.
6. Charlie Hunnam
Stephenie Meyer once revealed that she really wanted Charlie Hunnam to play the role of Carlisle Cullen after seeing him in ‘Nicholas Nickleby’. She felt that he was essentially the Carlisle of the 2002 film. Hunnam is known for his grittier exterior and commanding presence. So, his portrayal of Carlisle could have been completely different to Peter Facinelli’s version that we ultimately got to see.
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5. Channing Tatum
Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg reportedly pictured Channing Tatum as Riley Biers, the vampire created by Victoria when she started assembling an army against the Cullens and Bella. In the movies, we ultimately see Xavier Samuels playing the role. Tatum was busy working on several films at the time. Moreover, given his heartthrob status, Tatum would have definitely overshadowed the franchise’s main characters.
4. Jamie Campbell Bower
This one is especially surprising since Jamie Campbell Bower is already there in the ‘Twilight’ franchise as Caius Volturi, one of the coven’s three powerful leaders. But apparently Bower was also considered for the leading role of Edward Cullen. He revealed in an interview that, at the time, he was too busy filming ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ and couldn’t audition, and that’s why the plan never happened.
3. John C. Reilly
No one could have seen this coming, but Stephenie Meyer’s first choice for Charlie Swan was actually John C. Reilly. She felt he was perfect for the role, even though she also thought that getting him on board might be a long shot. Billy Burke ultimately made Charlie Swan his own, but Reilly would have brought a completely different energy.
2. Henry Cavill
Stephenie Meyer famously considered Henry Cavill to be her “perfect Edward” and was her top choice for the role. However, at 24, Cavill was considered too old to play the role of the high schooler. Years later, Cavill said taking the role would have been “cool”, but revealed that he wasn’t even aware he had been considered. Ultimately, Robert Pattinson became the Edward we all know.
1. Jennifer Lawrence
At the time, Jennifer Lawrence auditioned for the ‘Twilight’ franchise for Bella Swan, but she stated that she got turned down “almost immediately”. She had no idea then how big the franchise would eventually become. But when Lawrence was cast as Katniss Everdeen in another YA franchise sensation, ‘The Hunger Games’, she nearly backed out because she was worried about the intense fame that had followed the young stars of ‘Twilight’.
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