Here's who was almost cast in My Best Friend's Wedding

Every day until Valentine’s Day, Entertainment Weekly is celebrating our special romantic comedy-themed Untold Stories issue. Check out all of our behind-the-scenes tidbits, reunions, and oral histories — and follow #LoveEWstyle on Twitter and Instagram.

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate not only the powerhouse cast that makes up My Best Friend’s Wedding, but to imagine what it would have been like had an entirely different group of A-listers taken starring roles. Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, Dermot Mulroney, and Rupert Everett reunited to grace the cover of EW’s first-ever romantic comedy-themed issue, but the occasion wasn’t just an excuse to photograph the gang back together again — they also spilled some major secrets.

To start, the movie could have been very different, according to director P.J. Hogan. During the audition process, Hogan says both Reese Witherspoon and Drew Barrymore read for good girl Kimmy, but ultimately Diaz snagged the part.

“I felt like Cameron had the same star quality that Julia had,” admits Hogan. “I thought this is going to be much more of a battle royale if there are two stars fighting over this guy. You can’t choose between them.”

Meanwhile, Hogan asked friend Russell Crowe to join for a table read of the Wedding script, but the Gladiator star ultimately lost the role to Mulroney. The director also says Roberts suggested Benicio Del Toro to play her gay buddy George.

Needless to say, that would have been a very different version of “I Say a Little Prayer.”

For more Untold Stories from My Best Friend’s Wedding and your other favorite rom-coms, pick up the new double issue of Entertainment Weekly on stands Friday, or buy it here now. Don’t forget to subscribe to EW for more exclusive interviews and photos — and follow #LoveEWstyle on Twitter and Instagram.

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