Billy Crudup has a theory about his career, and it's that he tends to get some of his best roles when he's not the director's first choice.
Exhibit A: his Broadway debut as Septimus in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia. Ethan Hawke later confided to him that he'd been offered the part, only to turn it down.
Exhibit B: Crudup's turn as Russell Hammond, the enigmatic guitarist in Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous.
Brad Pitt originally was set to play the rock star before dropping out. Exhibit C: His superhero debut as Dr. Manhattan in Zack Snyder's feature rendition of the beloved comic Watchmen.
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