16 Times Women Played Roles Written For Men

Shania said it best: Man, I feel like a woman.

It's no secret that Hollywood isn't exactly overflowing with empowering roles for women, particularly when actresses have passed the ingenue phase, or crave material that's more challenging and rewarding than that of the male lead's girlfriend. What's a strong, savvy female star to do? Push for change. Fight for a rewrite.

With a few taps of a keyboard, some of film's most iconic characters have gone from he, to she. Alien's Ellen Ripley was intended for a male actor. Tom Cruise was originally slated to play Angelina Jolie's lead role in Salt. And Sandra Bullock took over for George Clooney as a political consultant in last year's Our Brand Is Crisis. Somehow, the Earth continued to rotate.

Curious to see which famous roles were earmarked for men, until a more nuanced casting decision was made? Keep reading.