Taylor Swift wearing an Oscar de la Renta dress, Christian Louboutin shoes, and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry arrives at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards

Taylor Swift Opens Up About Her 'Nightmare' Audition For 'Les Misérables'

Home / Stars / Taylor Swift Opens Up About Her 'Nightmare' Audition For 'Les Misérables'

By Favour Adegoke on October 30, 2022 at 1:00 PM PDT

Singer Taylor Swift has reflected on her audition experience in "Les Miserables." The 2012 period drama, an adaptation of a play of the same name, starred a couple of talented actors in lead roles, including one of Swift's favorites, Eddie Redmayne.

The Grammy award winner was tasked to have a screen test with the actor during the early production stage of the film. However, the experience deeply scarred Swift because the character she was auditioning as was done up to seem unattractive, and she thought it would be awkward to meet Redmayne in that light. Swift also revealed that she knew she wouldn't be selected for any of the roles.

Read on to learn more.

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'I Wasn't Going To Get The Role'

Taylor Swift at Miss Americana World Premiere, Sundance Film Festival 2020
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During her appearance on Friday's episode of "The Graham Norton Show," Swift recounted when she auditioned for a part in Tom Hooper's period musical film "Les Misérables."

The Grammy Award-winning musician was just one of the many talented stars who tried out for roles in the film, which ultimately consisted of Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried, Samantha Barks, and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Swift detailed that she tried for the role of Cosette, which was eventually portrayed by Seyfried and Eponine, played by Barks. But the actress did share that landing any of the parts would have been impossible.

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She said on the show, per Page Six, "I had the look of Cosette and the range, vocally, of Eponine, so it was established I was there for a good time but not for a long time — I wasn't going to get the role."

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Taylor Swift Says The Audition 'Became A Nightmare'

Taylor Swift wearing an Oscar de la Renta dress, Christian Louboutin shoes, and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry arrives at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards
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Joining Swift on the show was Redmayne, who starred in "Les Misérables" as Marius Pontmercy, a student revolutionary. Back then, the pair were tasked with having a screen test together, which Swift was incredibly hyped about as she admired the actor.

Swift recounted, "I thought, 'This isn't an experience I am going to get again in my life,' so I said yes."

However, things turned out not as she expected, as the "Afterglow" crooner was told to have the screen test while fully dressed and made up as Eponine. Per the script, Eponine was written to have brown rotting teeth and other unwomanly looks, making Swift dread meeting Redmayne while dressed as the character.

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She said, "' I was like, 'You are going to do that after I meet Eddie Redmayne, right?'… But no, they made me look like near death, and it immediately became a nightmare for me.".

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Taylor Swift Avoided Talking To Eddie Redmayne

Embarrassed by how she looked for the part, Swift said she refused to talk with Redmayne at first when he arrived on set for the screen test.

However, she was not the only one having a bad day. The "Fantastic Beasts" actor was also uncomfortable trying out the part with Swift because he was suffering from a bad breath situation that day.

He said, "My overwhelming memory of it is that I had just been to Pizza Express beforehand and had garlic dough balls beforehand … and all I could think about was my garlic breath."

Swift responded, "You were weeping, and I thought it was because of how I looked," before confessing that it felt good to know they "were both struggling in that moment."

Taylor Swift's 'Midnights' 

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Since that embarrassing episode occurred several years ago, Swift has gone on to win 11 Grammy Awards and numerous major honors, including an Emmy and 29 Billboard Music Awards.

"Midnights," her most recent studio album, has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. Similar to her earlier works, the new release sees Swift once again thrill fans with her masterful and alluring voice that has garnered her critical acclaim since her debut in the industry.

Already the lead single from the album "Anti-hero" has since gone viral on the social media platform TikTok for its lyrics which have been used as a means to reflect on one's shortcomings and regrets.

Per Page Six, the "All Too Well" singer will follow up the album release with a massive stadium tour in the summer of 2023.

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