Which Actors Nearly Made It To Ocean’s Eleven Crew Opposite Brad Pitt & George Clooney?(Photo Credit –Facebook)
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Ocean’s Eleven is the kind of film that oozes incredible Vegas heists, slick suits, and a cast so star-studded it practically sparkled off the screen. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and their charming crew made robbing casinos look like a high-fashion runway with a criminal twist. But here’s the twist you didn’t see coming: not everyone was eager to join the crew.
Believe it or not, several big-name stars turned down a seat at Danny Ocean’s table. Whether it was scheduling drama, script doubts, or just missing out on the Vegas glitz, some seriously famous faces passed on a chance to steal cinematic gold. Curious who they were? Let’s just say hindsight might be kicking in harder than a blackjack loss. Grab your chips, we’re dealing out the surprising names who passed on Ocean’s Eleven.
Bruce Willis
Before appearing in Ocean’s Twelve, he played himself in the ultimate wink-at-the-audience cameo. Bruce Willis was actually eyeballing a more villainous gig. Yep, he was nearly cast as casino shark Terry Benedict. But when Bruce saw the script and noticed Benedict’s character was barely cooked, he bailed like John McClane at a yoga retreat. It turns out that the role wasn’t “yippee-ki-yay” enough, something he later admitted to regretting. From action hero to would-be heist target, Bruce’s almost-entry into the Ocean’s crew remains a Hollywood what-if.
Johnny Depp
Long before Jack Sparrow swaggered into pop culture, Johnny Depp nearly joined Clooney’s elite squad as Linus. Imagine Edward Scissorhands trying to pickpocket someone. It’s awkward, right? Depp was approached for the role but gave a polite no, probably while wearing a hat no one else could pull off. Matt Damon eventually stepped in as the eager rookie, but Clooney joked Depp basically ghosted them with a hard “thanks but no thanks.” Would Depp have added pirate flair to Vegas? We’ll never know.
Ralph Fiennes, aka the man who terrified an entire generation as Voldemort, almost brought that refined menace to Ocean’s Eleven. He was rumored to be considered for Terry Benedict, a role eventually nailed by Andy García. Fiennes has villain energy to spare, but maybe blending into a playful heist ensemble didn’t quite charm him. Or perhaps he just didn’t want to get robbed by George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Either way, the casino was spared some serious British intimidation.
— Wilson Brothers Updates | Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson (@WilsonArchives) February 24, 2025
Owen Wilson was this close to bringing his “wow” energy to the Malloy brothers’ sibling squabbles. He was up for either Turk or Virgil, but filming The Royal Tenenbaums took priority. Picture Owen bickering with Scott Caan or even his real-life brother Luke while launching toy cars into walls, that was almost our reality. He may have missed the Vegas train, but we still got a wig-wearing Owen in Wes Anderson’s family drama. Bless the multiverse where both movies exist.
Luke Wilson
The Wilson brothers nearly became the Malloy brothers, and the world came that close to a comedy dream team. Luke, like Owen, passed up Ocean’s Eleven to co-write and star in The Royal Tenenbaums. While the Wilson bros didn’t get to banter as casino-busting goofballs, director Soderbergh still loved the idea of using a real brother duo for the part, until Affleck and Caan stole the gig. Sorry, Luke. You gave us Wes Anderson weirdness instead of heist hijinks. Fair trade?
Mike Myers may not have made the cast list, but technically, part of him still made it on screen, his Austin Powers wig, to be exact. The man of many alter egos was in talks to join the Ocean’s caper, but the stars didn’t align. It’s unclear who he might’ve played, though one could imagine him ad-libbing his way through a con. Still, who needs blackjack when you’ve got British accents and shagadelic mojo? Vegas might not have been ready for that.
Ewan McGregor
Ewan McGregor was fresh off his lightsaber duties and being everybody’s favorite singing bohemian, so why not play a casino villain? That was the pitch, at least. While it’s not official, rumor has it he was tapped to replace Bruce Willis as Terry Benedict. But Ewan probably saw his schedule packed with Moulin Rouge! dance numbers or war scenes in Black Hawk Down. Maybe he couldn’t picture being mean to George Clooney. Honestly, who can? Another near-miss in a galaxy far, far away.
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg almost brought the funk to Ocean’s Eleven as Linus, but instead, he signed up for Tim Burton’s banana-happy Planet of the Apes. Yikes. Though Wahlberg was already in Clooney’s circle after The Perfect Storm, he bailed on the heist gig for a movie with talking chimps. Damon took the role, added the Damon-ness, and the rest is cinematic charm. Still, imagine Wahlberg in a casino saying, “Say hi to your dealer for me.” We were robbed of that line.
