I think it’s common knowledge now that Stuart Townsend was originally cast as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings. He trained for about two months but was replaced just before filming began because director Peter Jackson felt he was too young for the role. Viggo Mortensen was approached as a last-minute replacement - he had never read the books. His son, a fan of Tolkien, convinced him to accept the role. Mortensen flew to New Zealand and started filming the next day after agreeing. | Cinneman