Watch: Michelle Yeoh on Liam Hemsworth Joining The Witcher: Blood OriginLiam Hemsworth is reflecting on his White Wolf training. Months after the actor debuted his rugged transformation as Geralt of Rivia-a role previously held by Henry Cavill-in The Witcher's fourth season, he revealed how he navigated fans' reaction to the sudden recasting. "There was quite a bit of noise and I had to put that aside," Liam, 35, told Entertainment Weekly in an interview published on Sept. 25. "It started to become a distraction. I dealt with that sort of thing in the past a lot and, you know, at the end of the day, I love making movies and I love telling stories and acting. I just don't want any of that to affect my way of telling the story that I'm trying to tell." Indeed, viewers of the Netflix series were stunned when Henry, 42, announced that Liam would take over as the white-haired witcher in 2022. At the time, it was rumored that Henry retired the character to reprise his role as Superman, but he later confirmed that he wouldn't be Clark Kent again. readThe Witcher Showrunner Promises a "Heroic Sendoff" for Henry Cavill in Season 3And as Liam settled into his new role for the show's upcoming season, which is set to release on Oct. 30, he found a new way to focus on his monster hunting training. "I jumped off social media," the Hunger Games alum continued to EW, "and the internet most of last year." As for his offer to portray Geralt, Liam noted that he "was as surprised as anyone" that showrunner Lauren Hissrich wanted him to take on the role. However, she revealed that his name "has been out there for a very long time" in The Witcher universe, and she was intrigued to see him fill in Henry's shoes."The other really great thing about Liam is he takes this really, really seriously," she told EW in the same interview. "I think he knew that he was stepping into big shoes. It was really important to him to have certain things [for] continuity - and also certain things that he could invent so that his Geralt could stand on his own two feet." Lauren isn't the only person that's had an open mind in Liam taking over as Geralt. In fact, several actors from the franchise, including Michelle Yeoh-who stars as swordmaster Scían in The Witcher: New Blood-shared her neutral thoughts on the recasting. "I think Henry did such an amazing job," she told E! News in December 2022. "Let's see what Liam has to bring, right? That's how it is." Keep reading to see more popular roles that were almost given to other actors...

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic / SGranitz/WireImageChris Pine as Ryan Atwood on The O.C.

The Star Trek actor lost out on the role, which ultimately went to Ben McKenzie, due to his bad acne. "I had awful skin as a teenager," he said on Josh Horowitz's podcast Happy Sad Confused in May 2024, "and then I when I came after college, my skin started breaking out again."Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images/Ron P. Jaffe/CBS Jason Biggs as Ted Mosby on How I Met Your Mother"I was offered the role and it's probably my biggest regret, you know, on passing," the American Pie alum revealed in a 2021 SiriusXM interview. "I think I was in a phase of, at the time-it sounds so obnoxious to say right now-but at the time it was like, 'Okay, do I want to do TV?' I don't know that I was quite ready to go that route."Ken Ishii/Getty Images/James Devaney/WireImageAlden Ehrenreich as Dan on Gossip GirlCasting director David Rapaport told EW, "Before Penn was involved, I desperately wanted Alden Ehrenreich to play Dan," but producers thought the 5-foot-9 actor was too short to play the role of Blake Lively's love interest. So the role went to Penn Badgley, who is just about the same height as Ehrenreich, according to the internet. Randy Holmes/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images; Todd Williamson/Getty ImagesRob Lowe as Derek Shepherd on Grey's AnatomyLowe revealed that he turned down the role of McDreamy in his 2014 memoir, and it came back up in an episode of Marc Maron's podcast. "That's probably cost me $70 million," he joked. "Eh, it's just money." Lowe says he watched the pilot when it came out, "and when they started calling the handsome doctor 'McDreamy,' I was like, 'yeah, that's not for me.'" Roy Rochlin/Getty Images, Moviestore/ShutterstockBenedict Cumberbatch as Bill Compton on True BloodSherlock and Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch auditioned for the role of vampire Bill Compton back in the day. Stephen Moyer went on to land the part.

Gary Gershoff/WireImage, Moviestore/ShutterstockJessica Chastain as Sookie Stackhouse on True BloodBefore she was an Oscar nominee, Jessica Chastain read for the role of Sookie Stackhouse. The part eventually went to Anna Paquin.VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images, Jeffrey Mayer/WireImageJennifer Lawrence as Crystal Norris on True BloodA 17-year-old Jennifer Lawrence read for the part of werepanther Crystal Norris, and almost got the part, but her age played a factor in the part going to another actres