Reese Witherspoon on losing ‘Gone Girl’ role to ‘diabolical’ Rosamund Pike

Reese Witherspoon recalled being dropped from the role in Gone Girl amidst filming.

Following the approval from the author Gillian Flynn, the Friends star was set to playing the role of Amy Elliot Dunne. However, when the director David Fincher came abroad, he decided against her casting.

In appearance of the latest podcast episode of La Culturistas, The Morning Show actress said, "David sat me down — and this is not on David — but David’s like, ‘You’re totally wrong for this part, and I’m not putting you in it."

She added, "I had all these conversations with the writer Gillian Flynn, and she was like, 'No, I'd really like you to do it.' … But [Fincher] was like, 'You're wrong.'"

Eventually the role ended up at the door step of Rosamund Pike, who then led the dark romantic comedy with Ben Affleck.

The thriller went on to be a breakthrough for Pike's career as the actress scored her first ever Academy nomination for the film, landing a nod for best actress.

Talking about how being dropped from the role hurt her pride, Witherspoon said, "That was, first of all, an ego check for me. It was like, 'No, you’re not right for everything.' And he was right."

However, accepting her short-comings and loss over the role she acknowledged Fincher efforts in nailing the direction and creative choices.

"He was totally right. … Fincher just killed it. And Rosamund Pike is so diabolical and Ben Affleck is sort of the rube on the other side of it," she added.

Despite losing the role, Witherspoon ended up scoring a best actress Oscar nomination that same year, in the biopic, Wild based on Cheryl Strayed's memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.