Fifty Shades of Grey: 10 Actors Almost Cast in the Movies (2024)

Casting actors in a movie is crucial to its success. When we watch movies, it is difficult to see any other actor playing beloved roles. However, the casting process is a tedious one, and getting things right is a daunting task for movie-makers. For the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise, casting the right Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele could not have been easy. However, Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson really took on these roles and brought the beloved book characters and their stories to life.

For a movie like Fifty Shades of Grey, picking the right actors to play the lead roles puts incredible pressure on filmmakers. The pool of actors to choose from was vast, and some very notable names were initially in talks to play Christian and Anastasia. From failed book fan favorites to some conflicting schedules, here are the actors who were in talks to be in Fifty Shades of Grey, but the stars did not align.

10 Ryan Gosling as Christian Grey

Ryan Gosling was pretty much seen as the Christian Grey blueprint. Therefore, it is pretty fitting that the Ken of all Kens was considered for the lead role in the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise. Although this particular role was not in the cards, Gosling has been all over the place in the film world. From pure romance in The Notebook to singing and dancing in La La Land and Greta Gerwig's Barbie, Gosling has been the heartthrob of popular culture for so long that we would have loved to see him in the raunchy romance.

9 Garrett Hedlund as Christian Grey

Almost was not enough for this casting. Garrett Hedlund was the name that was close to nabbing the role of Christian Grey. However, when it came down to it, the actor turned it down. Hedlund is best known for his role as Sam Flynn in the sci-fi action film Tron: Legacy and most recently appeared in the 2023 film The Tutor.

8 Robert Pattinson as Christian Grey

From Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter to Edward Cullen in Twilight to The Batman, we have grown up to love Robert Pattinson on and off-screen. Throughout the years, the talented actor has taken on a variety of roles that showcased his jaw-dropping range as an actor. Pattinson was one of the most-wanted actors for the role of Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey. However, things just did not fall into place, and we do not get to see our favorite movie-vampire in the spicy romance franchise.

7 Charlie Hunnam as Christian Grey

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Oh, the classic story of what could have been. Charlie Hunnam was prepped and ready to fulfill the lead role in Fifty Shades of Grey before he backed out of it last minute (via Vanity Fair). Hunnam is best known for his role as Jax Teller in the FX drama series Sons of Anarchy and most recently played the character Kai in 2023's Rebel Moon.

6 Matt Bomer as Christian Grey

Matt Bomer is a fan-favorite through and through. How much Bomer was actually considered for the role is a little unclear. However, fans did not keep quiet about how he personified the Christian Grey they read in the novels. From 2016's action comedy The Nice Guys and the Magic Mike franchise to the drama series White Collar, Bomer still has a resume to take note of.

5 Emilia Clarke as Anastasia Steele

We like to think that the one and only Emilia Clarke is playing our Anastasia Steele in an alternate Fifty Shades of Grey universe. Clarke revealed her initial interest in the project, but eventually turned it down because she remained apprehensive of the nudity required of the role. Clarke is best known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones as well as the tear-jerking romance film Me Before You.

4 Shailene Woodley as Anastasia Steele

Shailene Woodley was a name thrown out for this film. Woodley is best recognized for her role in the young adult dystopian book-to-movie franchise Divergent. She has also found a pocket in romance with her roles as Hazel Grace Lancaster in The Fault in Our Stars and as Aimee in A24's The Spectacular Now. Alas, Woodley's schedule with Divergent made her unavailable for Fifty Shades of Grey.

3 Lucy Hale as Anastasia Steele

Lucy Hale would have been an incredible choice to play Anastasia in this film franchise. Although she auditioned for the part, it just was not meant to be. Hale has been in the acting space for some time now and has starred in some iconic films and shows. From early in her career with teen mystery drama Pretty Little Liars to the film adaptation of Sally Throne's steaming rom-com The Hating Game, you can catch Hale completely in her element, even if it is not as Ana.

2 Elizabeth Olsen as Anastasia Steele

Believe it or not, the stunning Elizabeth Olsen was also in the talks to play Anastasia in Fifty Shades of Grey. Although Olsen did not end up as the lead of this franchise, her incredible filmography speaks volumes of her ability to take on pretty much any role and make it her own. We know her mostly for her role as Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlett Witch in the MCU as well as the 2023 biography Love & Death and 2013's Oldboy.

1 Felicity Jones as Anastasia Steele

Felicity Jones is another critically acclaimed actor who was considered for the lead in this film. Jones is an incredibly talented and highly accomplished actress with her brilliant work in films like The Theory Of Everything alongside Eddie Redmayne, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and 2018's On The Basis of Sex. However, her age at the time of filming hindered this casting. In the film, Anastasia is a 21-year-old college student and Jones was around 30 at the time.