Claire Danes

Claire Danes was reportedly in the running for the casting, but she does not appear to have publicly commented on her audition.

Kate Hudson

Kate Hudson was considered for the role, but she does not appear to have publicly commented on auditioning.

Kirsten Dunst

Kirsten Dunst was considered for the role, but she does not appear to have publicly commented on auditioning.

Juliette Lewis

Juliette Lewis was reportedly in the running for the casting, but she does not appear to have publicly commented on her audition.

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman was considered for the role, but she does not appear to have publicly commented on auditioning.

Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson was considered for the role, but she does not appear to have publicly commented on auditioning.

Rachel McAdams

Rachel McAdams was heavily pursued for the starring role in the movie.

“We offered it to Rachel McAdams three times. The studio was determined to have her, and she was determined not to do it,” director David Frankel explained to EW.

The actress reflected on passing on the role and several others in a 2023 interview with Bustle. “I felt guilty for not capitalizing on the opportunity that I was being given, because I knew I was in such a lucky spot,” she said. “But I also knew it wasn’t quite jiving with my personality and what I needed to stay sane.”

“There were definitely some anxious moments of wondering if I was just throwing it all away, and why was I doing that? It’s taken years to understand what I intuitively was doing,” she reflected.