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7 A-List Actors Who Auditioned For Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' Roles
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were almost not paired up in roles of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Pitt was initially linked to other popular actresses, including a singer and his ex-girlfriend.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith went down in history as the movie that birthed Brangelina. However, it could have very easily starred several other A-list actors. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's chemistry took the movie about a husband and wife who work for opposing teams of assassins to the next level. Their portrayal of Jane and John Smith sizzles on screen. They sparked romance rumors while filming and wound up dating and eventually getting married in the years that followed.
Although the movie introduced the former A-list couple, they were almost not paired up in roles. Pitt was first linked to the movie with other popular actresses, including a singer and one of his ex-girlfriends, among other recognizable Hollywood stars.
Here is a list of 7 A-list actors who auditioned for the roles.
1. Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman was the first actress associated with Mr. & Mrs. Smith. She was set to star in the role alongside Brad Pitt. However, she had to back out due to conflicts with The Stepford Wives. "On their first week of shooting, they were like, We’re [already] two and a half months behind schedule," Doug Liman who directed the film recalled about conversations with the team working on Nicole's other movie.
Liman continued, "And that’s the day we were like, She can’t do our movie. Which really broke my heart, ’cause I knew what was going to happen next: We were gonna lose Brad. And at some point during that process, sure enough, he did say, I’m passing. I was actually out to dinner with my family at some Chinese restaurant [when Pitt bowed out]. I had to face my family and say, The film just fell apart."
2. Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp, a renowned movie star since the '80s, gained critical acclaim in 2005 for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the 2003 Pirates of the Caribbean film. During a 2005 interview, director Doug Liman confirmed that Johnny was in the running. It does not appear that he ever addressed the casting rumors. Depp later went on to star in The Tourist with Angelina Jolie.
3. Will Smith
Will Smith was also in the running for Pit's role at one point. Smith at that time was famous for his breakout role in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and was a fan-favorite in Men in Black amongst other roles. "There were some of us who liked one of them a lot more than the other, and some of us in the camp who liked the other one more," Liman said in regards to Smith and Johnny Depp. "I won’t get anyone in trouble, but the end result is we ended up pursuing both."
Liman further said, "Then Brad changed his mind and said, I’m interested again. David Fincher [who directed Pitt in Fight Club for Regency, the company that financed Mr. & Mrs.Smith] explained to me, Get used to it. That’s just the nature of the beast making a movie with Brad Pitt."
4. Cate Blanchett
Johnny Depp was being tentatively paired with Cate Blanchett for the movie. Blanchett had been starring in Hollywood projects since the '90s and was fresh off her appearance in The Lord of the Rings.
"We really liked Cate Blanchett. Around that time, she’d come out with a [magazine-ad] photo spread where she looked like a spy. But she wasn’t available — she was doing The Aviator," Liman confirmed.
It does not appear that Blanchett has ever commented on the casting. However, she did star in Babel alongside Brad Pitt and reunited again for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. She has also collaborated with Angelina Jolie on Pushing Tin in the '90s.
5. Gwyneth Paltrow
Director Doug Liman also revealed that he had also briefly considered contacting Gwyneth Paltrow, specifically because she and Pitt dated. "I had been interested in casting Gwyneth Paltrow opposite Brad Pitt," he admitted. "Because they’re really exes. Think of the spectacle of that. Fireworks could really fly in that situation. Because I’m sure there’s some s— one of them was mad at the other one for. You find out what that baggage is and bring it out at the right moment, with the camera rolling."
He further said, "My producers were like, Look, that’s a great idea. But Brad is a human being. Even if he was game for it, it’s wrong for us to put him in a situation where he’s going to have to relive the demons of a relationship. That’s just a little bit too mad-scientist."
6. Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani, known for her musical talents, made her acting debut in The Aviator, a year before Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Since then, she hasn't landed many roles, but she did appear in Trolls and was in the running for the role of Jane Smith.
“I feel like I almost got it. I went to a bunch [of auditions]," she recalled back in 2016. “[It was] very competitive and I wanted to do it, but I wanted to do music more.” She also referenced her unsuccessful audition again in 2022, saying that Angelina Jolie beat her for the role.
7. Catherine Zeta-Jones
Will Smith was being paired with Catherine Zeta-Jones for the roles. She entered Hollywood in the '90s and hit it big in projects such as Chicago and The Mask of Zorro. Liman confirmed that she was in the running, "Somehow Catherine Zeta-Jones’ name came up, but there wasn’t a lot of unanimity about casting her, as there was about Angelina Jolie."
She starred in Oceans Twelve with Brad Pitt in 2004.
ALSO READ: Mr. & Mrs. Smith: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's iconic film to be adapted into series; DEETS inside
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