After seeing photos of Dakota Johnson on set as Anastasia Steele in “Fifty Shades of Grey,” it’s hard to imagine someone else paying the role. But if you rewind to several months ago, there rumors upon rumors of who would be cast in the coveted role.
Everyone from Kristen Stewart to Lily Collins to Nina Dobrev was rumored to be eyeing the racy role of a sweet college girl who falls for a billionaire tycoon with a penchant for the S&M lifestyle.
And one of those actresses did come pretty close to landing the role: “Pretty Little Liars” star Lucy Hale, who recently spoke to MTV News about the “awkward” audition process.
“It actually was just me [in the audition]. It was a two-page monologue of exactly what you would think it would be,” Hale said. “Very uncomfortable, but it was sort of one of those things where you just had to go for it or you’re just gonna look lame — hopefully, I didn’t look lame.”
Describing it as “unlike any audition I have ever done before in my life,” Hale went on to explain that she didn’t do a particular scene from the E L James novel, but it was pretty steamy dialogue and something “I don’t want my grandmother watching.”
While Hale is now concentrating on “PLL” and her budding music career (she just released a country album, Road Between, last month), she does admit that she was interested in the role of Ana since it was “something a little different” than she’s done before.
“I think any girl in my demographic would have loved to be a part of it,” Hale said. “Mainly, I was just interested in doing something risky and doing something a little different than my character on ‘PLL’ so it took me out of my comfort zone.”
“Fifty Shades of Grey” hits theatres February 13, 2015.
Christina Garibaldi
Christina Garibaldi has been an on-camera reporter for MTV News since 2011. When not interviewing or writing about her favorite stars, she keeps herself busy with baby animal videos and boy bands. Talk to her on Twitter @ChristinaMTV
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