It's difficult to imagine Edward Scissorhands as anyone else other than Johnny Depp but the role in Tim Burton's 1991 film would have went to Tom Cruise if the studio bigwigs had got their way.
Depp has revealed that Cruise, who was already a big star unlike the then relatively unknown Depp, was the bosses first choice for the fantasy epic and he was even told that he'd lost out to Cruise.
"They were interested in me for the part, but had someone else in mind too," Depp said. "A few days later, they called me to say the studio preferred the other actor. Tom Cruise. I was really disappointed."
"From the moment I read the script, I knew I had to be in it. But I understood that the studio wanted a box office superstar."
Obviously something or someone changed the minds of the studio execs (perhaps Burton's influence?).
"Then a miracle happened," added Depp. "My agent called to say they wanted me instead," he added.