5 Famous Actors Who Were Almost In Pixar Movies

Across all of Pixar’s movies, from the best to the worst, vividly alive voice over performances permeate each title. What would the “Toy Story” movies be without the entertaining turns from Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack? Amy Poehler’s work as Joy, meanwhile, is essential to making “Inside Out” work, as are the richly lived-in voice performances from “Coco’s” ensemble. Wherever you look in the Pixar canon, you’re bound to find great examples of actors reaffirming voice work as an art form.

In the history of Pixar, though, several famous faces came close but failed to secure major roles in the studio’s filmography. These potential castings range from beloved ’90s character actors to comedy movie titans to sitcom stars and everything in between. Just as the backgrounds of these performers are varied, so too are the circumstances leading to their casting failures. Some were not the right fit for the part, while others fell by the wayside in the wake of larger creative overhauls.

Whatever happened, they were simply never meant to be. These five famous actors who were almost included in beloved Pixar movies have carved out a unique place in the studio’s history, and are compelling cases to consider. 

In the 1990s, William H. Macy stayed busy playing adversarial slimeballs. Whether it was “Pleasantville,” “Fargo,” or “Magnolia,” Macy was masterful at portraying ordinary men driven by anxiety and self-serving interests. Even after anchoring “Shameless,” William H. Macy has remained busy appearing in movies like “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” and “Train Dreams.” However, Macy just narrowly missed out on headlining one of Pixar’s most beloved movies, “Finding Nemo.”

In the 2008 book “The Pixar Touch,” “Nemo” director Andrew Stanton recalled how Macy was first cast as Marlin the Clownfish. The actor had done most of his lines before Stanton and company opted to cast Albert Brooks instead. In hindsight, it’s easy to see why they went in that direction. Macy’s a phenomenal actor, but his performances tend to have a simmering intense edge to them. You can feel the contempt peeking out of his buttoned-up personas. That quality is perfect for some roles, but may have teetered Marlin into unlikeable territory.

Brooks, meanwhile, is a veteran of playing endearing, everyday underdogs in titles like “Broadcast News” or “Lost in America.” He brought vital affability to even Marlin’s most intense bursts of helicopter parenting. Thankfully, Macy has no shortage of iconic roles to console himself with.

Today, Jack Black is a voice acting legend. Generations have grown up with his distinctive vocals propelling projects like “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” or the “Kung Fu Panda” series. His voice acting chops have even extended over to television, where they’ve populated programs like “The Simpsons” and “Big Nate.” One of his first major voice acting gigs in film, though, could’ve been playing Syndrome in “The Incredibles.” Black was heavily pursued for the role before the actor (as he himself openly admits) capsized the opportunity.

Apparently, Black was offered the script for “The Incredibles” and felt that Syndrome was too “one-dimensional.” Requesting rewrites, director Brad Bird and company simply moved on to other actors. In hindsight, Black regrets that decision given how much he adores “The Incredibles.” This might’ve benefited the movie in hindsight, however. There’s no doubt Black could’ve brought passion and sliminess to Syndrome. However, casting sitcom veteran and character actor Jason Lee instead allowed “The Incredibles” to stand on its own two feet. 

Instead of becoming a Jack Black movie, “The Incredibles” saw its fictional characters have a life beyond their respective voice actors. Besides, Black’s found plenty of other rewarding voice acting opportunities after Syndrome.

Edna Mode scores laughs with her very first lines in “The Incredibles.” Despite her diminutive stature, she’s a larger than life figure with an enjoyably gusto personality. Along with a real person possibly influencing her creation, much of Edna’s humorousness comes from the voice of director Brad Bird, who is utterly unrecognizable portraying this feisty bundle of creativity. Given how crucial Bird’s performance is to Edna, it’s staggering to consider that he wasn’t always destined to voice the character.

Allegedly, Lily Tomlin was the first choice. A silver screen legend known for “9 to 5” and “Nashville,” Tomlin also has numerous voice acting credits under her belt, including “The Ant Bully, “Spider-Man: Into the SpiderVerse,” and most notably “The Magic School Bus” as Ms. Frizzle. There’s totally a timeline where Tomlin crushed it as Edna Mode. Still, this “Incredibles” casting never came to fruition apparently because of her. Bird’s demonstration of what Edna Mode should sound like left Tomlin impressed, and she suggested that Bird take on the role.

Lily Tomlin may have not been part of “The Incredibles,” but things ultimately worked out great for Edna Mode. Bird’s voice gave Mode a singular personality and identity that’s still sending audiences into fits of giggles.

Reese Witherspoon’s exploits have taken her everywhere from law school to Alabama. With her near brush with Pixar, she almost went to the Scottish Highlands. Originally, Witherspoon was set to voice Merida, the curly redhead lead of “Brave.” A key facet of “the untold truth of “Brave,” this distinctly American actor would’ve anchored a movie otherwise littered with Scottish and British performers. Clearly, Witherspoon was a bold and seemingly anachronistic choice. Eventually, Scottish native Kelly Macdonald of “No Country for Old Men” fame took on the part instead.

Just before its release, “Brave” director Mark Andrews was sanguine about the casting shift, chalking it up to Witherspoon’s bustling schedule. He was also complimentary towards how much effort she’d put into mastering that Scottish accent. Years later, Witherspoon became candid that her difficulty getting down Merida’s Scottish vocals cost her the role. 

Recasting “Brave’s” main character epitomized the tumultuous creative road this film experienced on its way to the big screen. Trying to turn “Legally Blonde’s” leading lady into a Scottish archer was just one of the many hurdles “Brave” faced.

One of the most fascinating interviews of all time was conducted at a D23 red carpet in 2013 with Lucas Neff. At that time, Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur” was set to debut in May 2014 and Neff was voicing the film’s protagonist, Arlo. In talking about the movie, Neff expressed sincere enthusiasm and excitement for getting to anchor a Pixar film, as well as “The Good Dinosaur’s” central story. 

Just one month later, “The Good Dinosaur” was delayed to Thanksgiving 2015, lost its original director (Bob Peterson), and underwent a massive creative overhaul that led to the original cast, including Neff, being let go. Did Neff know what the future held when talking into that microphone on that fateful day? Did he have an inkling that this major opportunity would never come to pass? It’s an outright tragic interview to witness in hindsight, and just one of many compelling corners of the bizarre history of “The Good Dinosaur.” 

Whatever his knowledge at that time, there was no reason for Neff to still play Arlo after the character was reworked as a child. Thus, adolescent performer Raymond Ochoa secured the part instead. Neff may have dodged a bullet, given how badly “The Good Dinosaur” performed, but it doesn’t make that D23 interview any less bittersweet to revisit.