Everybody makes mistakes! It is impossible for actors not to have a worst audition story after years of trying out for roles — but some stand out more than others.
Matt LeBlanc‘s worst audition earned him the role of Joey Tribbiani on FriendsOne of his most beloved characters to this day is.
“I remember I had gone in a bunch of times and I think it was on the final callback, I had gone with a friend of mine to run lines,” LeBlanc recalled during the highly anticipated Friendsreunion debuted on HBOMax in May 2021. “And he said, ‘So the show is about friends and being friends? Just a group of friends?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, kinda!’ And he was like, ‘Well, we should go out drinking.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s a good idea!’”
However, it turned out to not be a good idea.
“To make a long story short, I woke up in the middle of the night at his apartment and had to go to the bathroom,” LeBlanc explained. “I got up too fast and I can’t believe I’m telling this, but I kind of blacked out — as you do — and fell face-first into the toilet, hit my nose on the bottom of the toilet seat, and a huge chunk of meat came off my nose. And I’m looking in the mirror, it’s bleeding, and I’m like, ‘Oh, my God. I must go in for the big callback. [there’s]A large, ugly scab appeared on my nose.’”
As luck would have it the creator of the show is also there Marta Kaufmann, found the story behind the injury so true to Joey’s character that it scored LeBlanc the role.
Some auditions end in a positive outcome. Jake GyllenhaalThey know it all too well.
During a 2016 appearance The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonGyllenhaal said that he had originally tried for Lord of the Rings. The audition took place over “a conference call from, like, 14 agents” who were excited about the prospect of having him play Frodo, a role that ultimately went to Elijah Wood.
“They called me up and they were like, ‘Oh, guess what!’ And I was like, ‘What!’” the Brokeback MountainActor recalled. “‘… and when they said they needed a hobbit, we thought, Jake!’”
Things went downhill during the audition when Gyllenhaal was instructed to only follow “lots of stage directions” — but say “no lines.”
His interpretation of the scene wasn’t what director wanted. Peter JacksonWas looking for.
“Literally, Peter Jackson was like, [facepalm],” the October SkyStar said, acknowledging that Jackson was being harshly criticized at the time. “[He said,] ‘You are the worst actor that I have ever seen. Did anyone tell you you’re supposed to have an accent?’”
Scroll down to see more terrible audition stories actors have shared from the past:
