Mr. & Mrs. Smith is known for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s pairing. But that wasn’t the original plan. Director Doug Liman first wanted Gwyneth Paltrow with Pitt. They were prominent exes then. Liman thought their past would add real strain.
Before Brad and Angelina made headlines, there was Brad and Gwyneth. The two dated from 1994 to 1997 after meeting on the set of Se7en. They soon got engaged. Even in 1996, Pitt called Paltrow his “angel, the love of my life” during his Golden Globe speech.
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However, they broke up before getting wedded. Years later, Paltrow explained to Howard Stern that she wasn’t ready for marriage. She said (via PEOPLE), “I was 22 when we met. I wasn’t ready, and he was too good for me.”
When Mr. & Mrs. Smith was in early development, Liman suggested casting Paltrow alongside Pitt. According to Entertainment Weekly, Liman believed that working together would create real sparks, saying, “Because they’re really exes. Think of the spectacle of that.” He also mentioned the idea of using their real-life history to fuel on-screen chemistry and conflict.
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But before anyone could hand Paltrow a script, the producers stepped in. And they weren’t having it. Apparently, even Hollywood has limits. One producer reportedly said, “Brad is a human being. Even if he was game for it, it’s wrong to put him through that.”
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No one wants to relive their heartbreak — even if it could make for great cinema. So, Liman had to move on from his wild plan. After looking at a few other actresses, they finally landed on AJ. And, well, the rest is history. Jolie and Pitt’s on-screen pairing eventually led to a high-profile relationship that captured public attention for years.
So, there you have it. Platrow almost dodged bullets with Pitt, but in the end, Jolie took the role — and his heart, for a while at least. And while Mr. & Mrs. Smith gave us an iconic duo, it almost gave us an awkward reunion of exes.
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In the end, Mr. & Mrs. Smith became a major hit with Jolie and Pitt. But it almost featured a very different dynamic if Paltrow had taken the role.
