Nearly 20 years later, Knocked Up remains a comedic favorite. Starring Seth Rogan and Katherine Heigl, the film originally looked very different. In fact, Seth Rogan revealed Anne Hathaway was originally set to star in Knocked Up alongside him. After this piece of information went viral, it has fans wondering something else: Who Else Was Almost Cast in Knocked Up?
Anne Hathaway & More A-Listers Auditioned for Katherine Heigl’s Knocked Up Role
GettyKnocked Up was one of Judd Apatow’s classic 2007 comedies where Rogen and Heigl played a mismatched couple who unexpectedly get pregnant and have a baby together. It ended up being a critical and commercial success.
In a recent appearance alongside The Invite co-star Olivia Wilde on The A24 Podcast, Rogan revealed that Hathaway was supposed to play Heigl’s character, Alison Scott.
Rogen said, “It was Anne Hathaway who quit the movie.” Allegedly, she quite because of the crowning scene.
But not only did Hathaway originally have the part, but a few stars auditioned. Rogen and Wilde revealed in the podcast that Wilde also auditioned for the role of Alison.
It’s been reported that actresses Jennifer Love Hewitt and Kate Bosworth auditioned for the role after Hathaway departed. Actresses Renée Zellweger, Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Claire Danes were also reportedly considered for the role of Alison.
Apatow also reportedly looked at Michelle Pfeiffer, Jennifer Connelly, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Brooke Shields. However, producers allegedly didn’t find them to be in the right age range for the role.
Another big contender was actually songstress Christina Aguilera. But she allegedly turned it down to promote her 2006 album Back to Basics, according to Screen Rant.
Almost none of these actresses mentioned ever ended up working with Apatow. However, one more Oscar-nominated actress auditioned for Alison. While it was unsuccessful, it landed her a different comedic role.
Mila Kunis’ Audition Eventually Led to Forgetting Sarah Marshall
(Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb)That’s right, Mila Kunis also auditioned for the role of Alison in Knocked Up.
Kunis previously told the Orlando Sentimental in a now-archived page that she did audition for Knocked Up unsuccessfully, but it led to her bring cast in Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
She said to the outlet, “Judd is very open-minded in terms of casting. I came in for a part I didn’t get (in Knocked Up). It didn’t work out, but he remembered liking what I did when I came in to meet with him. When Forgetting Sarah Marshall came along he asked if I wanted to be a part of it.”
She added, “I give Judd so much love for hiring me and letting me do something different, letting me break free of That ‘70s Show, letting me show that I could do something outside of Jackie. The hardest thing, after ending a show you’ve been on for eight years is you get pigeon-holed into that character or that type of humor. The character and the show you played her on IS you, to Hollywood.”
