Mads Mikkelsen sheds new light on his audition for Fantastic Four. The actor is known for starring as the title character in the NBC series, Hannibal. He’s also appeared in Marvel’s Doctor Strange and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. More recently, he’s earned praise for his performance in the critically acclaimed film, Another Round.
But before making it big, Mikkelsen had his share of bad audition experiences. One audition that the actor has mentioned before is trying out for Fantastic Four, a process he eventually walked out of. Although it was clear that he’d been vying for the lead role of Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, it was unclear whether he was referring to the 2005 adaptation or the 2015 version. In new comments, Mikkelsen elaborates further on the story and pinpoints the source of his frustration.
As part of a wide-ranging profile on Mikkelsen for Vulture, the Hannibal star shed new light on his experience of auditioning for the role of Reed Richards in 2005’s Fantastic Four. Mikkelsen mentions getting an American agent who encouraged him to do as many auditions as possible, after he’d filmed Casino Royale. As he describes it, Mikkelsen tried out for different roles regardless of whether he genuinely wanted to appear in the movie or not. This approach led him to try out for Mr. Fantastic himself, a part that eventually went to Ioan Gruffudd. You can read Mikkelsen’s quote below:
Some of the stuff was interesting, and other things were just like — this is where I felt you can completely lose your confidence as an actor. Standing in an office with a person who looks down at his paper, and you pretend you have long arms and say one line. “I know a lot of casting is just first impressions — is there anything there that reminds the producer and the director of the character they’re looking for? But I find it rude to ask people to come into a room and say one line while pretending you have 80-foot arms like the rubber man. ‘Grab that cup of coffee over there’ — it’s like, Are you crazy? There’s not even a scene here. It was kind of humiliating.
Viewed from a certain perspective, it’s understandable why casting directors and producers might take such a quick approach. Particularly for a movie like Fantastic Four, there were undoubtedly many actors vying for the main characters. In the case of Sue Storm, which eventually went to Jessica Alba, other names considered included Rachel McAdams and Keri Russell. Given these factors, and possible scheduling concerns, it makes sense to establish a shorthand for how the heroes should come. And, in some cases, it can help to see what an actor can accomplish with limited direction. Still, based on Mikkelsen’s recollections, that’s not what he experienced.
Based on what Mikkelsen shares, it could be the case that the team behind Fantastic Four might have already decided that Mikkelsen wasn’t right for Mr. Fantastic by the time he walked into the room. That happens often, as many hopefuls will readily confess, but it’s easy to see how that sort of blatant disinterest can be frustrating for an actor. In any case, it’s laudable that Mikkelsen stuck to his guns. Decades after its release, with the 2005 movie a distant memory, Mikkelsen’s career shines bright and he’s earned the relatively rare privilege of getting to lead the sort of projects that really interest him.
Source: Vulture