1. - Russell Crowe, Robin Hood, 2009. Before directors Sam Raimi, Bryan Singer and Jon Turteltaub passed the Sherwood project to Sir Ridley Scott, both the Leeds star and Christian Bale were suggested Robins until Scott favourite, Crowe became, at 45, the oldest Hood in history.

2. - Casey Affleck, The Killer Inside Me, 2010. As directors changed from Andrew Dominik and Marc Rocco to Michael Winterbottom, so did the favourites for the mild-spoken, intellectual psychopath Lou Ford. From Tom Cruise to Sam and finally, Affleck.