Mads Mikkelsen is widely considered one of the most honest and professional actors out there, with many filmmakers always eager to include him in their productions. But back in the slightly earlier days of his career, he wasn't quite the hot commodity for studios that he is today (their loss). So naturally, he has more than a few stories of the types of strange auditions he's been through over the years, and one of them might surprise some fans even more than hearing Tom Holland once tried out for Star Wars, and it involves the Fantastic Four.
In a recent interview with Vulture, Mikkelsen spoke about his career and how he got to where he is today. One such aspect that many actors can relate to is his experience with various auditions, and how he wouldn't be particularly picky while trying to build his resume. After auditioning for what would become his breakout role as Le Chiffre in the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale, he immediately continued his efforts, landing another audition for the 2005 version of what some believe to be a cursed franchise, Fantastic Four.
The audition wasn't what he expected, standing out from many of the others he'd been to, and not in a good, wholesome way like Bill & Ted. Things felt off to Mikkelsen, especially once the future Hannibal star was offered a request to stretch his own arms as far as he possibly could while only given a single line to recite. He described his strange experience at the Fantastic Four audition, saying, "this is where I felt you can completely lose your confidence as an actor. Standing in an office with a person who looks down at his paper, and you pretend you have long arms and say one line." In case it wasn't obvious, he was auditioning for the role of Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic, who has the ability to shape and stretch his own body to fantastic limits.
Now, of course, there are tons of actors who have been through bizarre auditions before, but Mikkelsen's lackluster impression of the production seemed to come more from a perceived lack of professionalism and courtesy. "I find it rude to ask people to come into a room and say one line while pretending you have 80-foot arms like the rubber man," he explained. "There's not even a scene here. It was kind of humiliating." It really goes a long way in driving home how even the biggest stars had to go through a lot of odd and surreal experiences to get where they are today.
Mikkelsen has come a long way, from modest success in his homeland of Denmark to making headlines with his casting in the upcoming 5th Indiana Jones film, bumps in the road like the Fantastic Four audition might have even felt worth it to get where he is now. It almost seems oddly appropriate that Fantastic Four would feature such a bizarre casting process, considering how the franchise itself is known more for its persistence rather than its actual films. Hey, it must take a certain kind of personality to try making a new version of what has become the movie equivalent of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position from Harry Potter.
Still, it was one stepping stone on Mikkelsen's way to his current stardom. However, some might look at the previous Fantastic Four films (and future ones, because the world will never be free from their snare), that's got to count for something.
Fantastic Four (2005) is now available on Disney Plus.
Source: Vulture