The casting directors of 13 Reasons Why [1] managed to find the perfect group of young actors for its ensemble cast, which is no easy task. The stars (literally) aligned to play Hannah, Jeff [2], and more in the Netflix series . . . but things could have been completely different. Turns out that several of the key actors had originally intended to play different characters than the roles they were eventually assigned. It's a trip to think about Katherine Langford as anyone but Hannah Baker, or Brandon Larracuente as Justin (!), but in an alternate universe, here's what may have happened.
Katherine Langford Auditioned For Jessica
Langford was lucky enough to land Hannah, the starring role in 13 Reasons Why [4], but she originally auditioned for both Hannah and Jessica [5]. The latter role went to Alisha Boe [6].
Brandon Larracuente Auditioned For Justin
While Jeff Atkins may have deserved better [7], he couldn't have been played by a more perfect actor [8]. That's why it's so crazy to hear that Larracuente had actually gone in to read for Justin Foley [9], the role that went to Brandon Flynn [10].
Anne Winters Auditioned For Hannah
Winters, who joins the cast as Chloe during season two [11], actually auditioned for Hannah originally [12]. She told POPSUGAR that she actually made it to final callbacks, but ultimately ended up losing out to Langford. Though there are certainly no hard feelings. "Obviously everything happens for a reason, and I love Katherine," she said. "I think she's the sweetest and she played that role perfectly."
Devin Druid Auditioned For Clay
Meanwhile, Druid had several auditions for the part of Clay [13] before getting called back to read for Tyler.
Selena Gomez Was Supposed to Be Hannah
Gomez served as an executive producer on the series [14], but once upon a time, she was attached to star in a movie version of the book. Back in 2011, Universal Pictures acquired rights to adapt the novel [15], with Gomez as Hannah. At the time, Gomez was still starring on The Wizards of Waverly Place. Eventually, Gomez opted out of being on camera, and the adaptation took on a new form at Netflix.