Gwyneth Paltrow Was Almost Cast As The 'Mrs.', In 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith'

"Mr and Mrs Smith" is one film that comes to mind when discussing typical espionage-focused action movies. The movie was famous for its great acting, the chemistry between the actors on and offset.

The spy movie kicked off a romance between its lead characters, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

"Mr. and Mrs. Smith" was an espionage flick about a failing marriage between two spies who tried to kill each other and was a mix of action, romance, and comedy. Due to the two main characters' star power, the movie made over $487 million off box office sales.

Now, it isn't easy to imagine the movie without the main characters, but there was a time a different female lead was considered. The director of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" initially wanted Gwyneth Paltrow to play Mrs. Smith but it ended up not working. Keep reading below to find out why she was the first choice.

Paltrow and Pitt met on the set of "Se7en" in 1994 and started dating right away. They were together for three years and were never camera shy with their PDA. Pitt even thanked her while receiving his 1996 Golden Globe for "Twelve Monkeys" and called her his 'angel' and the 'love of his life.'

Pitt also had a great relationship with Paltrow's family, especially her dad, and according to the actress, he was treated like a son. When she got engaged, the Marvel actress was 22 years old, and fans could already hear the wedding bells, but the relationship ended before they exchanged vows. They broke up in 1997, and the actress moved on with Ben Affleck.

During a 2015 interview with VanityFair, Paltrow admitted that the relationship ended mainly due to her immaturity. "I was such a kid," she said. "I was 22 when we met. It's taken me until 40 to get my head out of my ass. You can't make that decision when you're 22 years old…I wasn't ready, and he was too good for me…I didn't know what I was doing." The actress later added that although they don't hang out, they are still on friendly terms.

After Pitt and Jolie's divorce in 2016, Entertainment Weekly interviewed the director of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

Doug Liman spoke about working with the two actors on "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and who he initially wanted to act beside Pitt. Liman said he wanted to cast Paltrow in the movie because he felt that the chemistry between her and Pitt would have advanced the film.

"Because they're really exes. Think of the spectacle of that," Liman explained. "Fireworks could really fly in that situation. Because I'm sure there's some s- one of them was mad at the other for. You find out what that baggage is and bring it out at the right moment, with the camera rolling."

However, the idea didn't pull through because the executives felt it took the concept too far.

"My producers were like, 'Look, that's a great idea. But Brad is a human being. Even if he was game for it, it's wrong for us to put him in a situation where he's going to have to relive the demons of a relationship. That's just a little bit too mad-scientist." The director eventually gave up on the idea and cast Jolie instead.

Before Liman cast Jolie, Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman had already signed on for the role. The director said, "My agent called me [circa fall 2002] and said, 'I'm sending you a script. Brad Pitt and Nicole Kidman are attached to star,'" Liman said.

"The script wasn't perfect for me, but I had a really strong point of view on the material, and that's what I look for."

At that time, Kidman was filming the 2003 "The Stepford Wives," and her shooting schedule conflicted with that of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." The actress ended up leaving and was shortly joined by Pitt.

When the duo left, several A-listers like Johnny Depp, Will Smith, Cate Blanchett, and Catherine Zeta-Jones were considered for their roles, but it didn't stick. Jolie was eventually selected, and Pitt returned to the project.

Paltrow's role in "Shakespeare in Love" earned her an Oscar 20 years ago and changed her career for the better.

The romantic comedy was released in 1998 and grossed almost $300 million worldwide. The movie played a massive role in Paltrow's acting success, but the actress revealed that she almost refused it.

Paltrow told Variety about her breakup with Pitt and how it almost made her let go of the role. She was still reeling from the split when she got the movie script, which made her hesitant to star in the movie.

"I was in the middle of a terrible breakup…and the idea of going to England and being far from home just seemed…I didn't even read it," she said. Paltrow eventually read the script and the story quickly changed her mind. "I just couldn't put it down," she gushed. "It was perfect."