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Actor Claire Danes was once cast in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator 3 back in 2003. However, in order to obtain the role, she had to replace another actor who already secured the part.

Why Sophia Bush was replaced by Claire Danes in ‘Terminator 3’

Claire Danes posing next to her 'Terminator 3' castmates Kristanna Loken and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Claire Danes, Kristanna Loken, Arnold Schwarzenegger | Dave Hogan/Getty Images

Terminator 3 director Jonathan Mostow initially had Danes in mind to play the character Kate Brewster in the movie. But in a resurfaced interview with IGN, Mostow confided that Danes couldn’t commit to the project. This led to Mostow hosting auditions to find another actor capable of leading the film. At the time, he was pleasantly surprised by what One Tree Hill star Sophia Bush brought to the table.

“Then, I had auditions and I found this actress who I think is a gem, Sophia Bush. I think this girl is just going to be huge … I was incredibly excited about casting her. She was 19 years old, but she blew me away with just the poise that she had,” Mostow said.

But Mostow claimed Bush’s youth became a problem when pairing her with the other actors in the film. This eventually led to Bush being let go from her role, which the filmmaker wished he didn’t have to do.

“But, once we put her onscreen and we started shooting with her against the other characters we had in the piece, she was just plain too young,” Mostow said. “It was heartbreaking … She was 19. There’s a huge difference between 19 and 22 … It was just one of those horrible, heartbreaking kind of things.”

This left Mostow and the studio in a mad scramble to search for a replacement fast. Fortunately for them, Danes would actually agree to star in the film this time. Although she admitted she wasn’t in the clearest state of mind when she accepted Mostow’s offer.

“I just happened to arrive in LA the same afternoon that my agent called me in a panic saying that there is a crisis on the Terminator set, they need to recast the role of Kate Brewster and they would like you to step in immediately. I was so jet lagged and disoriented that I just said yes,” Danes once told Female.

Why it was hard for Claire Danes to believe she was in a ‘Terminator’ movie

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Danes wasn’t really known for action blockbuster films. Before Terminator 3, perhaps the biggest movie Danes ended up starring in was Leonardo DiCaprio’s Romeo + Juliet. She was also known for features like U Turn and The Rainmaker. So even after she agreed to do the film, Danes still couldn’t get over the idea of doing a Terminator movie.

“I still don’t believe I’m in a Terminator movie,” Danes once told BBC. “It’s really incongruous to the rest of my career; I’m well aware of that. I’m getting so many double takes, I’m thinking – what? Are you serious! But I’m always interested in experimenting with different styles of acting and different medians, and if I was ever to do a big flashy action movie, I think Terminator is a good place to start.”

Danes was also sold onto the film by Mostow himself and her own admiration for the Terminator movies.

“My decision wasn’t THAT impulsive. I have a lot of reverence for the first two Terminator movies which I think are really sophisticated, innovative and fun, and I was an admirer of Jonathon Mostow’ s work, so I trusted that he would not embarrass us with this,” Danes said.

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