4.While we're on Jack Nicholson, the Academy Award-winning actor also missed out on playing Ralphie's dad (or, "The Old Man) in A Christmas Story.
5.Star of The Santa Clause trilogy, Tim Allen, was considered for the lead role in Jingle All the Way but the part eventually went to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
6.Jim Carrey was initially signed on to play Buddy in Elf, but the film was seriously delayed by production admin and he moved on to other projects, only for Will Ferrell to take over!
7.Wanda Sykes was also on track to star in Elf. She was going to portray the manager at Gimbels, but had to drop out at the last minute. Faizon Love stepped in but the character name remained Wanda!
8.Al Pacino was offered the role of John McClane in 1988's Die Hard, but he turned it down. Bruce Willis took up the role and would go on to star in four sequels!
9.Robin Williams begged filmmakers and J.K. herself to play Rubeus Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies, but it was no avail! Rowling was insistent that all of the cast be British or Irish, and Robbie Coltrane was eventually cast.
10.Producers of the holiday classic Home Aloneinitially wanted Robert De Niro to star as Harry, one of the incompetent burglars. After he declined, Robert's Goodfellas co-star Joe Pesci took up the mantle.
11.Sticking with Home Alone, the character of Uncle Frank was actually written for Fraiser actor Kelsey Grammer, but he turned it down and the role ended up being given to Gerry Bamman.
12.Simon Pegg almost played Rufus, the pedantic shop assistant in Love Actually, but ultimately Rowan Atkinson landed the gig.
13.Another actor who narrowly missed out on Love Actually is Joe Alwyn; he auditioned for the role of Sam, played in the film by Thomas Brodie-Sangster!
14.Before Michael Caine was cast as Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol, Ron Moody (aka Fagin from Oliver! – another Dickens adaptation) was considered for the role.
15.1946 classic It's a Wonderful Life was famously fronted by James Stewart, but there was a brief time when James's best mate Henry Fonda was being considered for the lead.
16.Donna Reed also appeared in the movie opposite James as his wife, Mary. However, in her autobiography Ginger: My Story, Ginger Rogers let slip that she was offered the role first, but turned it down because Mary seemed "too bland".
17.And finally, Star Trek alumnus Patrick Stewart actually recorded an introduction to The Nightmare Before Christmas, but it was cut by director Tim Burton. Danny Elfman liked his rendition, however, and used it on the film's soundtrack!
