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From Seinfeld's George Costanza to Allie in The Notebook, here's some of the most iconic roles that almost went to someone else!
Forrest Gump
Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump is one of the most defining on-screen roles, but did you know it almost went to John Travolta?
In fact, the studio approached Bill Murray and Chevy Chase for the titular role before offering it to Hanks.
George Costanza, Seinfeld
Paul Shaffer - most famous for being David Letterman's sidekick - claims to have been offered the role of George Costanza by Jerry Seinfeld himself, saying the comedian told him "You don't even have to audition".
Shaffer never returned Seinfeld's call, and so - thankfully - the role went to Jason Alexander, and we couldn't imagine it any other way!
Neo, The Matrix
"This is one of them stories that I'm not proud of, but it's the truth." Words spoken by Will Smith who admitted, "I did turn down Neo in the Matrix."
Yep, turns out The Wachowski Brothers approached the Fresh Prince for the history-making role of Neo but he turned it down because he wasn't impressed by their pitch.
As bad-ass as Will Smith would've undoubtedly been in The Matrix, there really is no match for Keanu Reeves in that black trench coat.
Buddy, Elf
Will Ferrell as Buddy The Elf is one of those roles that just warms the cockles of your heart, but it almost had fellow comedian Jim Carrey at the centre of it. Carrey was allegedly the man in mind when the part was written, but had to decline being involved after getting swept up in other projects.
But really, can you imagine the Green Grinch from a few years prior starring as Christmas' most festive mascot? I don't think so.
Allie Hamilton, The Notebook
According to the Director of The Notebook, Britney Spears almost starred as the leading lady, Allie Hamilton.
Not only did the 00's popstar do a screen test for the part but it was apparently quite a tight race between her and Rachel McAdams.
Britney talking about The Notebook and how it was the most amazing script she’d ever read pic.twitter.com/aH30a4hTgS
— Fan Account (@breatheonmiley) May 22, 2021
Jack Dawson, Titanic
It's almost impossible to picture Kate Winslet falling for anyone but Leonardo Dicaprio in the 1997 Romantic Drama, however handsome heartthrob Matthew McConaughey was almost Rose's muse.
During an interview with Stephen Colbert, Kate Winslet revealed that she initially read her lines with McConaughey and not Dicaprio, saying it "was completely fantastic [but] it just wouldn't have been the whole 'Jack and Rose, Kate and Leo' thing."
James Bond, Casino Royale
Now this is one that I'm devastated never eventuated: Hugh Jackman as Bond... James Bond.
After establishing himself as a sexy and powerful leading man in Wolverine, Jackman was put forward for the part of James Bond in 2006's Casino Royale but relinquished his audition after discovering he'd have no say in the script. Thankfully, the soon-to-be-proved perfect 007 agent that is Daniel Craig emerged to fill the void.
Hagrid, Harry Potter
Robin Williams was so desperate to play Hagrid in Harry Potter, he reached out to J.K Rowling but she was adamant all actors be British and so he didn't get the role. Robbie Coltrane ended up playing the iconic hairy giant.
Image Credit: Netflix
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Natalie Imbruglia has announced her forthcoming new album, Firebird, set for release on September 24 via BMG. Alongside the announcement, Natalie has shared the first single taken from the album, the instantly catchy ‘Build It Better’, accompanied by the single’s official video (out tonight here) bringing a touch of La La Land to Nell’s Cafe.
New album Firebird was written in an array of international locations alongside Albert Hammond Jr of The Strokes, Romeo Stodart of The Magic Numbers, KT Tunstall, Eg White (Adele, Dua Lipa, Sam Smith), Luke Fitton (Little Mix, Girls Aloud), Fiona Bevan (One Direction, Ed Sheeran), Rachel Furner (Little Mix, Jason Derulo, Craig David) and more, touching on themes of independence, vulnerability, the juxtaposition of strength and fragility, revealing Natalie’s newfound sense of confidence.
In contrast, the album was almost entirely recorded in lockdown, produced remotely by Natalie and My Riot with additional production from Albert Hammond Jr, Gus Oberg (The Strokes, Albert Hammond Jnr) and Romeo Stodart (Magic Numbers).
Discussing the album, Natalie says
“Making this album has been such a profound and satisfying experience. Having gone through a long period of what essentially was writer’s block, it was sometimes hard to envisage getting to this place. Before the pandemic, I started the process of writing this album in London and soon after, I headed to Nashville. With each session and new collaborator, I started to gain confidence, find my voice again, and craft the sound and style that felt authentic to me. It’s been such a privilege to work with such an array of talent on Firebird. I just can’t wait for people to finally hear it.”
New single ‘Build It Better’ is the first to be lifted from the forthcoming Firebird. Though unintentional, it could be about a world recovering from a pandemic.
Natalie describes the single as “surrendering to the chaos and seeing what’s on the other side of it is a good life lesson. Letting something fall apart, and being okay with that, is something that I have had to do in my life, numerous times, but especially moving into this record and becoming a mum. So, I’m really excited about that song, and about the video, which is total escapist fun - the world needs that right now.”
Listen to the new track "Build it Better" Here:
Firebird will be available on CD (Standard & Deluxe) limited signed CD (Standard & Deluxe), limited blue Vinyl and Digitally via BMG on September 24.
About Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia was propelled into the limelight in the nineties, kicking off her career in music with the chart-topping ‘Torn’, reaching #2 on the UK Singles Chart, #1 airplay around the world and #1 on the Billboard Airplay chart for 14 weeks, with more than a million copies sold in the UK alone. The single was taken from her subsequent 1997 album Left Of The Middle which went on to sell over 7 million copies worldwide. Natalie went on to release studio albums White Lilies Island in 2001, Counting Down The Days in 2005 which charted at #1 in the UK Albums Charts, and Come To Life in 2009, before releasing an album of covers entitled Male in 2014. Natalie has accumulated sales of over 10 million albums and 1 billion streams, 5 x UK Top 10 singles, 10 x UK Top 40 singles, 1 x UK #1 album, 3 x UK Top 10 albums, 2 x BRIT Awards, 8 x ARIA Awards, 3 x MTV Music Awards, 1 Billboard Music Award, 3 x Grammy Award nominations and more.
(Images: TT Publicity)
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Australia's top 10 most popular national parks on Instagram have been revealed, with the NSW Blue Mountains declared Australia's most 'Instagrammable' national park.
1. Blue Mountains
2. Whitsunday Islands, Queensland
3. Uluru-Kata Tjuta, Norther Territory
4. Great Sandy, Queensland
5. Grampians, Victoria
6. Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair, Tasmania
7. Daintree, Queensland
8. Freycinet, Tasmania
9. Dandenong Ranges, Victoria
10. Kakadu, Northern Territory
Image Credit: Andrew Goddard, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Honorable mentions were also made for Kalbarri in Western Australia and Ikara-Flinders Ranges in South Australia.
Analysts pored over millions of Instagram images to determine which parks most populate feeds with picture-perfect views.
The 11,400 sq km home of the Three Sisters, roughly an hour west of Sydney, took top spot with nearly 1.6 million photos.
Image Credit: Monikawl999 / Pixabay
Queensland's Whitsundays Islands National Park rated second, with more than one million posts, followed by Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in the Northern Territory which attracted more than 662,000 images.
Perfect for day trips, hiking, cycling, rock climbing, abseiling and horse riding, World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park attracts more than four million visitors each year.
The Giant Stairway descending into the picturesque Jameson Valley, the Jenolan Caves, Wentworth Falls and Megalong Valley all draw tourists from far and wide.
Image Credit: Toby Hudson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
However the Three Sisters rock formation at Katoomba has long been considered one of Australia's most photographed locations.
The Whitsundays' crystal waters and pristine beaches make it an Instagram star, researchers commissioned by sports nutrition retailer Myprotein found.
Visitors can explore the islands by boat or strap on a snorkel to get an up-close view of the stunning Great Barrier Reef.
While about as remote as Australia can be, iconic Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park still attracted its share of Instagram attention.
The sacred sites are renowned for rewarding amateur and professional photographers alike, willing to wake early to catch their breath-taking sunrise offerings and colour changes.
Queensland's Great Sandy and Victoria's Grampians national parks rounded out the top five.
"Millions of people visit Australia's national parks each year, travelling from far and wide to enjoy awe-inspiring views," Myprotein content producer Adele Halsall said.
"But it's not just stunning scenery. National parks offer lots of opportunities for those wanting to keep fit, where you can run, bike, climb, hike, swim, surf and so much more.
"But with hundreds of national parks to choose from, it can be difficult knowing where to begin."
To help narrow things down, project researchers initially compiled a list of the nation's largest and most popular national parks.
They then looked at the number of photos currently on Instagram featuring the name of the park in a hashtag, as well as associated hashtags (e.g. #UluruKataTjutaNationalPark, #UluruKataTjuta, #ExploreUluru).
They then combined the figures to create an overall ranking.
© AAP 2021
Header Image Credit: Turtletime13, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Australia’s most loved cooking show MasterChef will boast an exciting line-up of ten celebrities in their newest season, Celebrity MasterChef Australia.
Amongst the celebrities, we have an international chef’s daughter competing to win the Masterchef title.
The exciting line-up of celebrities includes award-winning actors, an Olympian, a singer, a fashion designer, comedians, AFL players, and a celebrity chef's daughter.
They will show off their home-cooking skills and compete to win the title of Australia's Celebrity Masterchef. They're the best in the business, but are they the best in the kitchen?
Scroll down to see the full list.
Archie Thompson
Australian footballer
Chrissie Swan
TV & Radio Host
Collette Dinnigan
Fashion Designer
Dami Im
Singer
Dilruk Jayasinha
Comedian
Ian Thorpe
Olympic Swimmer
Matt Le Nevez
Actor
Nick Riewoldt
AFL Player
Rebecca Gibney
Gold Logie Winning Actress
Tilly Ramsay
English Television Presenter, Gordon Ramsay's Daughter
Judges Melissa Leong, Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo will return to the Masterchef kitchen to test their cooking skills. It is the second season of Celebrity Masterchef, the last one aired over a decade ago in 2009 with Olympian Eamon Sullivan winning.
About the Celebrity season, Judge Andy Allen said in an earlier interview:
“Melissa, Jock and I can’t wait to swing open the doors to the MasterChef kitchen and welcome these famous faces. It’ll be a multi-talented group who step into the kitchen, but will they be at the top of their cooking game?”
The season is expected to air in late 2021.
Image Credit: (Facebook / @masterchefau)
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