Trending badgeTrendingPosted 1 hour agoSubscribe to Screen Time NewsletterCaret Down"That Was An Ego Check For Me": Reese Witherspoon Recalled What Really Went Down With Her Being Replaced By Rosamund Pike In "Gone Girl"Seeing someone else get an Oscar nomination for the role you were meant to have... ouch.by Ellen DurneyBuzzFeed StaffFacebookPinterestLink If, like me, you think that David Fincher's 2014 Gone Girl adaptation is one of the best movies ever made, then you have Reese Witherspoon to thank. Photo: Merrick Morton / 20th Century Fox Licensing/Merchandising / Everett Collection As you may know, it was Reese's production company, Pacific Standard (now Hello Sunshine), that first acquired the film rights to the Gone Girl novel back in 2012. But what you might have forgotten is that Reese was initially attached to star as the main character, Amy Elliott Dunne. 20th Century Fox, Jeff Vespa / Getty Images Amy is widely considered to be one of the most iconic, twisted, and terrifying villains in pop culture history, and, for a number of reasons, there were immediate apprehensions about Reese's rumored casting. "[Amy is] complicated and mysterious and decidedly strange - none of which are adjectives we'd use to describe Reese Witherspoon," a journalist wrote for The Atlantic back in July 2012. "The role needs someone more willowy and drawn, someone with secrets. Witherspoon, in contrast, is so open and bright." (C)20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection / 20th Century Fox Licensing/Merchandising / Everett Collection Fast forward to July 2013, and it was announced that Amy would be played by Rosamund Pike, the British star who, at the time, was best known for her work in projects like Pride & Prejudice and Jack Reacher - and was not nearly as famous as Reese. Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images Reports suggest that Charlize Theron, Natalie Portman, Emily Blunt, and Olivia Wilde were also discussed for the role. If you've seen Gone Girl, you'll know that Rosamund absolutely devoured the role, with Ben Affleck starring opposite her as Nick Dunne. IMO, both actors were perfectly cast, and Rosamund's Best Actress Oscar nomination for the movie speaks for itself. 20th Century Fox, Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images So, now that all is said and done, Reese has looked back on the whole Amy Dunne debacle, recalling the emotional gut-punch of being told they'd need to cast someone else. Jamie Mccarthy / Getty Images "I had optioned it to star in it, and I was supposed to star in it," she said on the latest episode of Las Culturistas, joking that there will one day be a "whole chapter" in her hypothetical book about the experience of working on Gone Girl. "David [Fincher] sat me down - and this is not on David - but David's like, 'You're totally wrong for this part, and I'm not putting you in it.'" Las Culturistas / iHeart Podcasts / Via youtu.be Interestingly, Reese said she'd already received the blessing of Gillian Flynn, the author of Gone Girl, who fully approved of her playing Amy. But that wasn't enough for David. Michael Kovac / Getty Images "She was like, 'No, I'd really like you to do it.' But he was like, 'You're wrong,'" Reese recalled, admitting that the rejection was a bit of a wakeup call for her. "That was, first of all, an ego check for me. I was like, 'No, you're not right for everything.' And he was right. He was totally right." Host Bowen Yang then asked why David - one of Hollywood's most notoriously picky and meticulous directors - thought she wasn't right for the role, and how he rationalized his decision to her, to which Reese replied: "He didn't have to, he's David Fincher." Las Culturistas / iHeart Podcasts / Via youtu.be "He literally says it this easy: 'You're wrong for this part, and I'm not putting you in it,'" she remembered, theorizing that her established fame likely impacted the casting call. "I brought an audience with me that likes me and wants me to win. Also, I'm not sinister or diabolical," she joked. Ultimately, Reese - who still produced the film - agreed that Rosamund was "perfect," and looked back at what the experience taught her. "Producing also means [getting] out of the way when you're supposed to," she said. "Do your job to promote, continue to pull people together, continue to build creative groups so that the ultimate result is the best work that it could possibly be." Taylor Hill / Getty Images Well, there you have it. While we're here, what if I told you that Jon Hamm was actually considered to play Nick over Ben? Could you see him fitting in that role? I also think Jon would've been great, but LMK your thoughts on all these casting what-ifs in the comments. Dave Hogan / Getty Images, Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images You can watch the full episode of Las Culturistas here. Do you love all things TV and movies? Subscribe to the Screen Time newsletter to get your weekly dose of what to watch next and what everyone is flailing over from someone who watches everything! BuzzFeed