Here’s How Gwen Stefani’s Audition Could Have Changed Brad Pitt’s Love Life With Angelina Jolie
The blockbuster film Mr. and Mrs. Smith, featuring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as the dynamic John and Jane Smith, released in the mid-2000s, sparked excitement among the public. However, many people are unaware that No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani was almost cast as the lead opposite Pitt. This revelation has aroused speculation about how Stefani's probable involvement could have influenced Pitt's personal life.
During a 2016 appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Stefani revealed that she auditioned for the main role in Mr. and Mrs. Smith and was almost cast. In the conversation, Stefani emphasized her enthusiasm for acting but eventually chose to focus on her music career, per The Things.
Stefani admitted that she was in close competition with Jolie for the part. In 2008, she stressed the parallels between acting and performing music, saying "It was between me and Angelina Jolie, and I'm like, 'Oh, great. I got a shot here. The whole acting thing feels like something I could do. Whenever I've done it, whenever I had moments where it works, it's just like performing. You hit a moment. And that's what movies are: a series of moments."
The conclusion of this casting decision may have profoundly changed Pitt's life, as allegations of his relationship with Jolie appeared during the film's production while he was still married to Jennifer Aniston.
In 2022, during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Stefani revived the subject and joked mentioned losing the job to Jolie in a game of, "Burning Questions." The discovery prompted DeGeneres to speculate on the alternative plot that could have occurred if Stefani had acted opposite Pitt in the film.
Pitt and Aniston, a high-profile Hollywood couple, married in 2000. Aniston revealed her wish to conceive a family with Pitt, imagining a future that included slowing down to enjoy family life. However, the couple's relationship was strained when allegations of Pitt's alleged involvement with Jolie emerged during the making of Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
As the media frenzy grew, encouraged by rumors about Pitt and Jolie's developing closeness on set, Pitt and Aniston's marriage began to crumble. The pair announced their separation in January 2005, and Aniston filed for divorce in March of that year. Pitt and Jolie's subsequent public appearances, including a controversial W Magazine picture shoot in July 2005, fueled more speculation.
Following her divorce from Pitt, Aniston sought peace and healing in her relationship with actor Vince Vaughn, whom she met while filming The Break-Up in 2005. Aniston told Vogue, "I call Vince my defibrillator. He brought me back to life. My first gasp of air was a big laugh! It was great. I love him. He’s a bull in a china shop. He was lovely and fun and perfect for the time we had together. And I needed that. And it sort of ran its course."
