Picking an actor or actress for the leading role in a television show is extremely important because it can easily make or break a show. There are many popular shows that became widely successful, much to the credit of the cast. The viewers never really know what goes on behind the scenes, but most of the time when a role is up for grabs, there’s a lot of competition! With a slight change in cast, even just one cast member could alter the entire show. It’s really hard to imagine our favorite characters being played by someone else, but we did some digging and found 16 iconic TV roles that were almost played by other actors!
16. Matt LeBlanc as Phil Dunphy on Modern Family
In an interview with USA Today, former Friends star Matt LeBlanc revealed he was offered the role of Phil Dunphy on Modern Family back in 2009! Unfortunately, he turned down the role, but only because he truly felt he was not right for the part. “I remember reading it thinking, this is a really good script, (but) I’ not the guy for this. I’d be doing the project an injustice to take this. I know what I can do, I know what I can’t do. Plus, I’m having too much fun laying on the couch,” he joked. While LeBlanc is a comedic actor, Ty Burrell does an amazing job with the role and we couldn’t possibly imagine anyone else now!
Picture Perfect/REX/©ABC / Courtesy: Everett Collection