Disney star Josh Gad says he almost landed a role in James Cameron’s 2009 epic Avatar, but the director had to let him go because of his appearance as a Na’vi.
“I put myself on tape and shortly thereafter got a call that Cameron wanted to fly me to Los Angeles for a final callback at his Lightstorm production offices,” Gad explains in his new memoir ‘In Gad We Trust’ (H/T Variety). “I apparently did not get [the role] because, while James Cameron was said to be thrilled with my audition, when I was turned into a digital Avatar I supposedly looked like a tall, overweight Smurf.” Ouch.
The star was set to play “the role of Jake Sully’s (Sam Worthington) best friend and translator” as Gad recalls. However, the part ultimately went to Joel David Moore who plays Sully’s pal and Na’vi language expert Norm Spellman in the sci-fi flick.
However, Gad doesn’t sound too affected by the whole ordeal. The star said he was trying out for several roles at the time to branch out from starring in the Broadway show The 25th Annual Putman County Spelling Bee, and Avatar just so happened to be “one of the first things” he tried out for.
But it all worked out for Gad as in 2013 he starred as talking snowman Olaf in one of Disney’s most popular films ever, Frozen. The star has since appeared in the Angry Birds movies, the live-action The Beauty and the Beast, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and Murder on the Orient Express, just to name a few titles.
As for Cameron’s sci-fi saga, Avatar went on to become the highest-grossing film of all time, with its sequel Avatar: The Way of Water hitting screens in 2022. Cameron has since confirmed that three more Avatar movies are on the way. Avatar 3, titled Avatar: Fire and Ash, is set to release on December 19, 2025.
For more, check out our list of the best sci-fi movies, or keep up with upcoming movies.
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