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Hollywood’s most miscast roles

Tom Cruise's latest action role has been announced - he's set to play Jack Reacher, the fictional former military policeman made famous in the thriller novels by British writer Lee Child. Nothing necessarily odd there, perhaps, but fans are somewhat perplexed over the casting decision. Why? Because Reacher is a 6ft 5in powerhouse — intended to be a full 10 inches taller and considerably wider and more grizzled than the diminutive, clean-cut Cruise, who stands at 5ft 7in. But roles in Hollywood are often cast with questionable forethought.

Let's have a look at some of Hollywood's weirdest casting choices...

Miss Marple — Jennifer Garner
It was reported earlier this year that Hollywood leading lady Jennifer Garner is set to play, erm, British pensioner detective Miss Marple for a new Disney project. OK, so the idea is to 'reboot' the whole thing, making Miss Marple a younger character (make-up artists can breathe a sigh of relief) and updating the action to the present day, rather than Britain in the 1920s. Which, of course, all begs the question — if you're changing the character, the era, the world of the story, then why flipping bother?

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Arthur — Russell Brand
Oh god. Oh dear god, why? Russell Brand engenders quite severe reactions among the population. You either adore his overblown, verbose posturing, or you could happily live every day of your life without ever seeing his silly bird's nest hair ever again. But surely no one could have agreed with casting him as Arthur, the loveable drunk billion-heir made famous by Dudley Moore. The proof of this? Critics hated it, and the public stayed away.

Prince of Persia — Jake Gyllenhaal

Jake Gyllenhaal is not an action hero. He just isn't. So after studying his CV, littered as it is with largely 'sensitive' roles, what possessed director Mike Newell to cast him as a ripped, codpiece wearing, scimitar-wielding Persian prince is genuinely baffling (last we looked, he's not Arabic either). He did use it as an excuse to buff right up; however, so doubtless his sprawling female fan base would have quite a different opinion of the whole business.

Psycho - Vince Vaughn
Vince Vaughn? As Norman Bates?! THE Norman Bates?!! Gus Van Sant's shot-for-shot remake of 'Psycho' was little more than an overblown love letter to Hitchcock. But by casting the least menacing comedy actor available at the time as the film's psychopathic lead, he lessened the film's already questionable reason for existing.

[See also: Stars that despised each other on set]

Constantine/Bram Stoker's Dracula — Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves has been miscast more times than he's had hot dinners — which probably says more about his range than anything else. Stick him in 'Point Break' or 'The Matrix', and you're laughing. Anything requiring more than bewildered vacancy and you're going to struggle. His British accent in 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' can still induce giggles, whereas he didn't even try while playing hard-boiled Liverpudlian occult detective Constantine. Poor show.

John Wayne — Genghis Khan
Still laughably cast to this day, John Wayne starred as Mongolian emperor Genghis Khan in the 1956 Howard Hughes production 'The Conqueror'. It was pummeled by the press, and ignored by the public, despite its impressive cast. Wayne made no attempt whatsoever to alter his acting style from grumpy cowpoke other than sticking on a wispy moustache.

[See also: Actors that were given a second chance]

Mickey Rooney — Breakfast at Tiffany's

In Truman Capote's book, Holly Golightly's neighbour Mr Yunioshi is played straight, a Californian of Japanese extraction. In the film, Mickey Rooney turns in a staggeringly racist stereotype, something that you simply could not imagine happening today. And rightly so.

Andie MacDowell — Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day is so near perfect. So very, very near. Which makes what stands in the way of this perfection all the more difficult to accept — Andie MacDowell. Sure, she had to be the polar opposite of Bill Murray's sardonic, arrogant weatherman for the plot to work out, but did she have to be such a wilting sap? Such a silly, delicate flower? Some of the film's best moments are to be found when Murray's character is assassinating hers, a fact that kind of says it all.