Peter Facinelli learned to not "be a d***" in auditions after missing out on a major role in 'Clueless'.
Peter Facinelli
The 47-year-old actor was "very close to getting" the role of Christian - who was ultimately played by Justin Walker - in the iconic 1990s comedy and had a number of screen tests for director Amy Heckerling, but his refusal to compromise on his vision for the role meant the filmmaker refused to cast him.
Speaking on the 'On the List' podcast, he said: "There's a list of movies I almost got— 'Clueless' is one of them. I read for her like six times. I got along really well with Amy Heckerling."
The 'Twilight' star was determined to present the character with a New Orleans accent and wouldn't be persuaded when Amy asked him to try out with another voice.
He said: "I was just new, and when you're new, you just don't know.
"You just think, I'm an artist, and this is what I'm doing.
"My whole thing was, I kind of based it on Harry Connick Jr., that role. I kind of came in, and I was doing this New Orleans kind of little accent, like a little twinge of a New Orleans accent. He was a kid from out of state that was going to this school anyway, so I thought that that was interesting.
"Then Amy goes, 'Well, can you try it without the accent?' And I go, 'No.' And she goes, 'No?' I go, 'No. This is what I would do with it.' Plus, I had a little bit of a New York accent, too, so I was trying to hide it with the New Orleans accent."
Peter admitted he'd learned a valuable lesson that day.
He concluded: "So I didn't get the role because I told the director to f*** off, basically, when she, in the audition, told me to try something else. You learn right away: Don't be a d***."
But the 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' star insisted he wasn't trying to be disagreeable, he was just worried he would have to "rethink the whole thing".
He added: "Now, if someone's like, 'Drop the accent,' you just drop it."
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