Sam Heughan on ‘Game of Thrones’? 10 Actors Who Almost Starred on Different Shows

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Tiffani Thiessen at #BlogHer18 Creators Summit
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Tiffani Thiessen

Known as: Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell

Almost cast as: Rachel on Friends

Katherine Langford at New York Fashion Week - September 2018
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Katherine Langford

Known as: Hannah on 13 Reasons Why

Almost cast as: Betty in Riverdale

Sam Heughan at
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Sam Heughan

Known as: Jamie Fraser on Outlander

Almost cast as: King Renly in Game of Thrones

Emma Stone at Paris Fashion Week - Womenswear Fall/Winter 2018/2019
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Emma Stone

Known as: Academy Award-winning movie actress

Almost cast as: Claire Bennet in Heroes

Rob Lowe attends the premiere of 'Super Troopers 2'
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Rob Lowe

Known as: Dr. Ethan Willis in Code Black

Almost cast as: McDreamy a.k.a. Derek Shepherd in Grey’s Anatomy

Connie Britton attends the 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar Party
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Connie Britton

Known as: Rayna Jaymes on Nashville

Almost cast as: Olivia Pope in Scandal

Paul Giamatti at Showtime Golden Globe Nominees Celebration
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Paul Giamatti

Known as: US Attorney Chuck Rhoades Jr. on Billions

Almost cast as: Michael Scott in The Office

Selma Blair at a Paramount Network Launch Party
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Selma Blair

Known as: Kris Jenner in American Crime Story

Almost cast as: Joey Potter in Dawson’s Creek

Matt LeBlanc attends 2017 PaleyLive LA Summer Season
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Matt LeBlanc

Known as: Joey Tribbiani in Friends

Almost cast as: Phil Dunphy in Modern Family

Alexandra Daddario at the
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Alexandra Daddario

Known as: Rachel in Parenthood

Almost cast as: Jessica Jones in Jessica Jones

Thomas Jane at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival
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Thomas Jane

Known as: Ray Drecker in Hung

Almost cast as: Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead and Don Draper in Mad Men

Katie Holmes at February 2018 New York Fashion Week
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Katie Holmes

Known as: Joey Potter in Dawson’s Creek

Almost cast as: Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

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It’s no secret in Hollywood that auditions are tough, and casting a new TV show can take months, because finding that perfect actor for a role is a time-consuming process.

In fact, Tinseltown is a very small world, and many actors wind up reading for the same part. So, have you ever wondered what your favorite TV show would look like with an entirely different cast? Would The Office be the same with Paul Giamatti as Michael Scott, or Scandal with Connie Britton as Olivia Pope? Not likely.

We’ve rounded up some very successful actors who’ve become recognizable as certain characters, but who were almost cast in various other high-profile roles.

Click through the gallery above to find out who didn’t make the cut!