‘CATS’ director explains why he didn’t cast Taylor Swift in ‘Les Misérables’
Universal PicturesBefore Taylor Swift was cast in Tom Hooper’s CATS, she was almost cast in another one of his movie musicals.
In an interview with Vulture, the director confirms Taylor had auditioned for the role of Éponine in 2012’s film adaptation of the Broadway hit musical Les Misérables. He says that while Taylor auditioned “rather brilliantly,” he chose not to cast her for a “flattering reason.”
“I didn’t cast her, but I got very close to it,” he says. “Ultimately, I couldn’t quite believe Taylor Swift was a girl people would overlook. So it didn’t quite feel right for her for the most flattering reason.”
The role went to British actress Samantha Barks, but Taylor’s audition let Hooper know that she was “curious to work on a musical.” So when CATS came up, Taylor was one of the first people he reached out to and ultimately the first person he cast.
Taylor plays Bombalurina in the film and wrote an original song for the film with Andrew Lloyd Webber, titled “Beautiful Ghosts.”
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