TV Roles Everyone In Hollywood Wanted

It used to be films were seen as superior to television in Hollywood, but those days are long over. Over the last couple of decades, the small screen has taken some really big leaps, spawning a slew of prestige projects and major hits that have expanded the narrative possibilities of the medium and revolutionized the way people think about TV—not to mention opened up a huge number of opportunities for actors who were once wholly focused on landing film roles. Several years into the explosion of streaming platforms and the continued rise of cable, television is enjoying a surge in popularity and prestige like never before. Now, a growing list of A-list talent is flocking to TV to tackle meaty roles once reserved for the big screen. As the New Golden Age of Television stretches on, we're taking a look at a few TV roles everyone in Hollywood wanted to play.

It was Sarah Jessica Parker's career-defining role, but other actresses nearly donned sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw's little tutu on the hit HBO comedy Sex and the City. Series creator Darren Star initially asked China Beach and Desperate Housewives star Dana Delany to play Carrie after seeing her onstage with future City vet Kim Cattrall, but Delany declined, not wanting to be in a show about sex—although she encouraged Cattrall to accept the role of Samantha. Parker was next on Star's list, but she was unsure, so he offered the role to House star Lisa Edelstein as a backup. Edelstein signed a contract, but Parker finally said yes, leaving Star to let Edelstein go. Ouch. As Carrie Bradshaw knows, breaking up is hard to do.

Oceanic flight 815 crashed on a mysterious island—and American television screens—on ABC's hit drama Lost in 2004, introducing audiences to a plane full of intriguing passengers, including world-weary yet charming con man James "Sawyer" Ford. Creator J.J. Abrams was initially set on hiring Forest Whitaker for the role, but he backed out to direct the film First Daughter instead, leaving Abrams to look elsewhere. Half of the male cast of Lost seemingly auditioned to play Sawyer, including Matthew Fox, Dominic Monaghan, and Jorge Garcia—who wound up as Jack, Charlie, and Hurley, respectively. But Georgia native Josh Holloway stole the show, winning the role that made him a fan favorite for six seasons—and a future star along the way.

Steve Carell became a star thanks to his brilliant, cringe-worthy, and occasionally heartbreaking turn as Dunder Mifflin's bumbling boss, Michael Scott. When NBC decided to adapt Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's hit BBC comedy of the same name for American audiences, showrunner Greg Daniels auditioned actors a little differently for the show, conducting interviews and having them improv answers as their characters. 

Auditions for the show were a veritable who's-who of comedy actors: Rainn Wilson was the first person to audition for Michael, but Daniels felt he was far better suited for power-hungry Dwight Schrute. Ben Falcone, Hank Azaria, Better Call Saul's Bob Odenkirk, and Alan Tudyk all auditioned for Michael as well, and NBC chief Kevin Reilly offered the role to Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti, but he turned it down. Universal Pictures chairwoman Stacy Snider encouraged the network to hire ex-Daily Show correspondent Carell, and the rest was sitcom history.

When True Detective launched on HBO in 2014, critics and audiences alike were blown away by the dramatic anthology series and the performances of leading actors Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. The limited series earned a slew of nominations and awards, so HBO eagerly greenlit a second season—and half of Hollywood wanted to take part. 

Among the rumored names for the second season: Elisabeth Moss, Jessica Chastain, Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Ewan McGregor, and Joaquin Phoenix; ultimately, Pizzolatto settled on Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell, Taylor Kitsch, and Rachel McAdams. The results were critically disappointing, but a third season may still be in the works, so start placing your bets now on who'll be joining the cast.

Dozens of young actors sought roles in a new NBC sitcom in 1994—which at the time was called Six of One—including Jane Krakowski, Eric McCormack, and Vince Vaughn. Perhaps the most sought-after role on the show was wisecracking character Chandler Bing. Co-creator Marta Kauffman told Vanity Fair that Matthew Perry was a top choice, but he was unavailable—he'd committed to LAX 2194, a Fox pilot about airport baggage handlers in the future. 

After seeing a slew of actors, Kauffman said Craig Bierko—who'd been coached for the role by Perry—was nearly cast, even though NBC executive Warren Littlefield said he "seemed to have a lot of anger underneath," and wasn't quite the "leading man" type they needed. Another major candidate was '80s movie veteran Jon Cryer, who told Entertainment Weekly he was in London acting in a play when he got a call to audition. The script was faxed over, and went to a British casting agency to make a tape. Later on, he found out the tape didn't arrive in time to be considered. In the end, Fox didn't pick up LAX 2194 to series and allowed Perry out of his contract, leaving him free to do the show—by then renamed Friends—and the rest was history.

After more than a decade off the air, the BBC revived the long-running science fiction series Doctor Who in 2005. The most important order of business was casting the ninth iteration of the Doctor, the Time Lord from another planet who traversed space and time. 

Producers aimed high, asking big-time movie star Hugh Grant to be the Ninth Doctor. Grant said he was "highly flattered" by the job offer, but still turned it down. Scottish actor Alan Cumming also said Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies asked him to play the role, and he was intrigued...until he found out it would require him to spend eight months out of the year near the show's production facilities in the relatively remote city of Cardiff, Wales. Billy Nighy from Love Actually, who'd later guest star on a memorable Doctor Who episode, was approached to be the Ninth Doctor. "But I didn't want to be the Doctor," Nighy told The People. "No disrespect to Doctor Who or anything. I just think that it comes with too much baggage." British actor Christopher Eccleston ultimately got the role...which he vacated after one season.