Jeremy Strong was asked to be a body double for a young Captain America.
Jeremy Strong struggled to make it in Hollywood
The 'Succession' actor struggled to break out in Hollywood in the early days of his career and after a failed audition for 'Cowboys and Aliens', which ultimately starred Daniel Craig, he was made a surprising offer, but even though he was "broke", he ultimately turned down the part.
He recalled: "They told me there was a top-secret film about Captain America.
"They needed someone to play Captain America’s young body, before he turns into a superhero. They said they needed a transformational actor and would use CGI to put the actual actor’s face and voice over my own.”
The 43-year-old star rejected the offer because he didn't feel it "valued" his own skill set.
He told the Sunday Times culture magazine: “I was broke. I needed money. I considered it. But that’s my story of LA. It was just never going to happen for me here. It didn’t feel like what I had to offer was valued.
“And the next day I went back to New York and did a play about a veteran from Afghanistan in a wheelchair during the blackout of 2003.”
Chris Evans, who took on the role of the superhero, was an old schoolmate of Jeremy's and had no idea he'd been asked to play his weaker self.
He exclaimed: "Oh no!"
The Hollywood star recalled seeing his old friend give a "phenomenal" performance in a children's theatre production of 'The Hobbit' and admitted he was baffled as to why he took so long to find success.
He said: “It just goes to show the industry is so unpredictable. But I’m so happy things worked out, because I don’t think there was ever plan B for Jeremy.”
Jeremy admitted he found it "difficult" seeing friends like Michelle Williams and Jessica Chastain make it big when he was still struggling.
He said: “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t difficult to see people I was close to getting work.
“I felt that I had a lot to offer but was entirely cut off from those chances. It has been a 25-year grind of working hard and meeting, withvery little result. I had fulfilling experiences, doing plays in 60-seat theatres where I felt like I levitated. But I was struggling. I had some difficult times as a younger person.”
And the 'Armageddon Time' actor was advised by some family members to give up on his "foolish" dreams.
He said: "I did have experiences where I was belittled or told it was foolish.
“There were people in my life who told me that. In my extended family. And, when you’re young, you internalise those voices. But I guess there is just something in me that couldn’t give up.”
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