Ah, the romance genre. One that can be broken down into so many enjoyable sub-genres, from comedy to drama to musical. Romance movies have been captivating audiences for over a century and will undoubtedly live on forever. Turn the lights down low, set the mood, and let's explore ten romance movie roles that almost went to different actors.

10 Julia Roberts - Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Sleepless in Seattle is not only one of the greatest romantic films of the '90s, but perhaps of all time. One of director Nora Ephron's best films, it holds a unique place in the hearts of many moviegoers. Flashing their chemistry on screen once again, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan helped to make this Oscar nominated classic the hit movie that it is. It was also a movie that was almost headlined by Julia Roberts in the role of Annie Reed. Roberts had to pass on the role, however, as she was in the middle of filming her own iconic romantic movie, Pretty Woman.

9 Tom Hanks - When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

Keeping with the Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Nora Ephron theme, it was Hanks who almost played the role of Harry Burns in the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally... Hanks would ultimately turn down the role, and Billy Crystal would join the project opposite Meg Ryan.

8 Jessica Simpson - A Walk to Remember (2002)

Mandy Moore and Shane West played their characters of Jamie and Landon to perfection in the heartbreaking romantic drama, A Walk to Remember. Audiences were almost introduced to a whole different movie, however, as it was Jessica Simpson who was considered to take on the role of Jamie and would have almost certainly not delivered the top-tier dramatic performance that Moor gave.

7 Emma Watson - La La Land (2016)

The hit romantic musical La La Land took the world by storm in 2016, going on to earn a record-tying, at the time, 14 Academy Award nominations. The chemistry between Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling is unmatched and through multiple films together has started to rival that of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. With Emma Watson originally slated to star in the film opposite Miles Teller, Watson was forced to drop out due to her commitment to the live-action Beauty and the Beast film. Funny enough, it was Ryan Gosling who turned down the beast role in the very same movie in order to star in La La Land.

6 Matt Damon - Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Before audiences saw the finished Ang Lee-directed Brokeback Mountain, the film had a difficult time securing a director for the project. At one point filmmaker Gus Van Sant was attached to the film with the lead roles going to Joaquin Phoenix and Matt Damon. Once Ang Lee had signed on, the leads eventually went to Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.

5 Robert Redford - The Graduate (1967)

Director Mike Nichols has enjoyed an extremely successful career of films, and perhaps none are better than the romantic comedy, The Graduate. With Dustin Hoffman now synonymous with the movie, it was legendary actor Robert Redford who was one of the other names considered for the film. Hoffman would go on to receive an Academy Award nomination for his role as Benjamin Braddock.

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4 Henry Winkler - Grease (1978)

Had this particular casting come to fruition, it would have been nearly impossible to differentiate between Henry Winkler's iconic role as Arthur Fonzarelli in Happy Days and that of Danny Zuko in the classic romantic musical Grease. Despite being the one to turn down the role out of fear of being typecast, Wrinkler has changed his tune since declaring himself a "damn fool" for passing on the part.

3 Marilyn Monroe - Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

Everything about the 1961 romantic comedy, Breakfast at Tiffany's has become iconic in film and pop culture history. From the iconic image of Audrey Hepburn with the cigarette holder, to the soothing song of "Moon River". However, the film nearly saw another legendary actor in the leading role as at one point during pre-production, the script was being tailored to fit Marilyn Monroe. It was only after Monroe turned down the role at the behest of her management, that Hepburn joined the project. This classic movie was even added to the Library of Congress in 2012.

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2 Britney Spears - The Notebook (2004)

Before Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams made audiences fall in love with them in the 2004 romantic drama, The Notebook. It was nearly pop superstar Britney Spears who landed the role, as she was on a short list of actors who auditioned for the part. In this instance, things most likely worked out for the best for everyone involved.

1 Matthew McConaughey - Titanic (1997)

For Matthew McConaughey, the lead role of Jack in the mega-hit film Titanic was his for the taking. Declaring in a 2021 interview that he believed it was really going to happen. With the two finalists seemingly being McConaughey and Leonardo DiCaprio, the role eventually went to DiCaprio