Stuart Townsend

Project: Lord of the Rings

Stuart was originally cast to portray the credit of Aragorn in the worldwide-hit Lord of the Rings. He even reportedly prepared for the role by undergoing an intense degree of rehearsing and training. However, the day prior to the filming of the movie, Director Peter Jackson axed him for no apparent reason. Viggo Mortensen got the role instead and presented him with the popularity he needed. The first installment of the trilogy was released on December 19, 2001, and it garnered box-office earnings of $891 million worldwide, while the remaining two were more successful.

Townsend, who was born in County Dublin, Ireland, eventually moved on from this unkind event and went on to lend his acting skills in films like The League of Extraordinary Gentleman and Queen of the Damned. He is set to star in a couple of movies in 2021: The Martini Shot and Grace and Grit.