Ben Stiller Opens Up About the Two Roles He’ll Always Regret Missing
Ben Stiller shares candid memories of two major film roles he lost after freezing up during auditions, reflecting on how these missed chances might have changed his path in Hollywood.
With the recent acclaim for Severance, audiences have started to see Ben Stiller in a new light. Known for his comedic chops, Stiller has now proven himself as a thoughtful director, making it easy to overlook the many acting opportunities that slipped through his fingers over the years. While he’s landed plenty of memorable roles, there are a few he still thinks about—especially the ones that got away.
Missed Chances in Comedy Classics
Back when Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy was first being developed, Stiller was in the running to play Brian Fantana. The part eventually went to Paul Rudd, but Stiller still managed to make a cameo in the film ’s unforgettable ‘News Fight’ scene. He also came close to landing two other roles that ultimately went to Will Ferrell—Blades of Glory and Megamind. At one point, he was even considered for the role of Willy Wonka in Tim Burton’s take on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Imagining Stiller in these films is a fun exercise, but the real stories lie in the roles he almost had but lost for more personal reasons.
Audition Nerves and What Could Have Been
During a conversation with The Guardian, Stiller let slip two movies that still haunt him.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have a successful career, and I have incredible family and people I love and friends,”
he shared.
“All these wonderful things that help offset the pain of the failures. But what if I didn’t have that? What if I didn’t have something that could take my mind off the time I screwed up that audition for My Cousin Vinny back in 1993, or my fourth callback for White Palace with Susan Sarandon, where I just froze up?”
He admitted,
“I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned that to anyone.”
Roles That Might Have Changed Everything
Of the two films, My Cousin Vinny stands out as a true classic. The legal comedy, starring Joe Pesci as a city lawyer out of his element in a small Southern town, was considering Stiller for the role of one of the students on trial. Ultimately, the idea of casting a Jewish actor in that part was seen as too risky, and Will Smith, who was up for the other student, was also passed over for similar reasons.
White Palace, on the other hand, was a very different project. The film centers on Susan Sarandon’s character, a working-class woman who finds herself in a relationship with a younger man, played by James Spader. Stiller auditioned for Spader’s role but froze during his fourth callback. At that point in his career, he hadn’t yet made his mark as a comedy star, and landing the part could have changed everything for him. Instead, the opportunity slipped away, and the role went to another member of the so-called ‘Frat Pack.’
Despite these setbacks, Stiller’s career has flourished. Still, it’s fascinating to imagine how things might have turned out if he’d landed those roles.